ConVEx 2024: Demystifying Generative AI, Structured Content, and Knowledge Graphs

April 8-10, 2024, I’ll be in Minneapolis, Minnesota to deliver two presentations at the ConVEx Conference, taking place at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel (The Depot). ConVEx is celebrating it’s 26th year as an essential gathering for content professionals responsible for the development and management of technical documentation and product information.?

This year’s conference offers sessions over three days, including several focus areas — generative artificial intelligence (genAI), writing and editing, taxonomy and knowledge graphs, and the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA). The event also offers a variety of technology test kitchen sessions, during which we can discover and interact with the latest tools and technologies in content development and management.

Related: View the conference presentation lineup and learn about the presenters.

While I am always interested in learning more about the foundational topics surrounding our work — things like understanding knowledge graphs, taxonomies and ontologies —?I have to admit my attention this year is narrowly focused on artificial intelligence.

Sessions on AI that I’m excited to attend

With all the hype surrounding generative artificial intelligence (genAI), it’s not surprising that this year’s conference includes a track jam-packed with sessions covering genAI.

I’m looking forward to learning whether we should — or shouldn’t — start using genAI; the subject of an expert panel discussion on April 8 with industry experts Val Swisher (Content Rules), Rob Hanna (Precision Content) and Sarah O’Keefe (Scriptorium Publishing).

I’m also deeply interested in the discoveries of Emily Gresbrink, a Ph.D. Candidate in Rhetoric, Scientific, and Technical Communication at the University of Minnesota. Gresbrink will review a work-in-progress project investigating artificial intelligence tools and a use-case for AI-generated structured authoring content.?

Longtime technical communication consultant,? Alan Houser, now a content services solutions engineer with GlobalLINK CCMS (Transperfect), will address ethical issues, providing insights into how they might be resolved.?

Save $195 off the price of registration when you use discount code TCW.

And, Heretto CEO and co-founder, Patrick Bosek, will explore how AI may take your job (to the next level) by exploring how high-quality AI can enhance our productivity by smartly delegating mundane tasks, freeing up more time for us to work on higher-value activities.

Additionally, Bosek will offer a test kitchen session (the afternoon of April 9) introducing us to Etto, the Heretto Copilot, and demonstrate how this generative AI documentation expert helps writers create content faster, manage documentation more efficiently, and learn to craft DITA XML content in real time.

Also examining how genAI will impact technical documentation teams is Keren Brown, VP Value and Enablement at Zoomin. During their talk, Brown will argue that genAI puts technical communicators in a position of more power, influence and impact than ever before.?

The CEO of Fluid Topics (Antidot), Fabrice Lacroix will examine what he calls “the most promising AI use cases” for technical documentation. Lacroix will help us understand the pragmatic challenges we should expect to encounter while deploying genAI solutions.?

More reasons to attend

Whether you're eager to dive into the latest in AI, refine your content strategy, or get hands-on with cutting-edge tools, ConVEx promises invaluable insights and networking opportunities.

The event features a vendor exhibition area, networking events and receptions, The organizers have arranged a special overnight room rental rate you can take advantage of until it expires (or supplies are exhausted).

Don't miss your chance to be part of this pivotal gathering in the content development world. Join me and several hundred of our peers in Minneapolis.

Register today!