Why Engineers Hate Documentation (And How AI Fixes It)…
Engineers Waste 20% of Their Time.
Let’s be honest:
↳ No one likes writing documentation. It’s tedious, gets outdated fast, and slows down engineering teams.
But here’s the hidden cost of bad documentation:
↳ New engineers take 40% longer to ramp up.
↳ Teams spend 20% of their time searching for answers.
↳ Repetitive Slack messages kill productivity.
A recent study by McKinsey found that engineers spend more time looking for information than writing code. And bad documentation? It’s a huge contributor.
Now, AI is stepping in not to replace documentation but to fix the process.
The Shift: AI is Eliminating Documentation Bottlenecks
In 2025, AI is doing three big things for documentation:
↳ Auto-generating API and code documentation → Tools like Postman and CodiumAI write docs as you code.
↳ Turning meetings into structured documentation → Microsoft Copilot now converts sprint discussions into specs.
↳ Making documentation conversational → AI-powered search (Notion AI, Sourcegraph) answers questions instantly.
Netflix, Uber, and Shopify have already integrated AI-driven documentation to eliminate bottlenecks and speed up engineering workflows.
What You Can Do Now: 3 AI-Driven Fixes
Automate API & Code Docs
↳ Use Postman, CodiumAI, or GitHub Copilot to generate documentation as you build.
↳ Saves engineers hours per week.
↳ Docs are always in sync with the code.
Make Meetings Actionable
↳ Use Microsoft Copilot or Fireflies AI to convert discussions into structured documentation.
↳ No more lost context from Slack.
↳ Decisions are automatically recorded.
Turn Documentation Into a Chatbot
↳ Use Notion AI, Sourcegraph, or Confluence AI so engineers can ask questions instead of searching.
↳ Fewer repeat questions.
↳ Instant answers, 24/7.
Why This Matters for Engineering Leaders
↳ Faster Onboarding → New hires ramp up 40% faster.
↳ Lower Support Costs → Less time wasted on repeat questions.
↳ Higher Engineering Velocity → More time coding, less time searching.
The takeaway? AI doesn’t replace documentation—it makes it work for engineers, not against them.
“Great documentation should work like an engineer’s second brain.” AI is finally making that possible.
How are you using AI to improve engineering documentation?