Code wikis are documentation theater as a service
7 days ago
- #Code Wikis
- #AI Documentation
- #Technical Writing
- Google's Code Wiki and similar AI tools claim to generate comprehensive documentation from code repositories, including diagrams.
- These tools can summarize projects and help explore poorly documented codebases but fall short of producing actual, reliable documentation.
- The generated wikis often contain inaccuracies, hallucinations, and poor information architecture, making them unreliable for complex projects.
- There's a risk that developers might mistake these AI-generated wikis for proper documentation, lowering the bar for what is considered acceptable.
- Proper documentation requires sustained effort, community contribution, and serves to explain, guide, and illustrate the system accurately.
- AI-generated docs lack the human touch and accountability necessary for trustworthy documentation, despite their convenience.
- While AI can assist in identifying gaps or generating drafts, it should never have the final say in documentation meant for users.
- The trend towards fully AI-generated documentation represents a move away from accountability and quality in technical writing.