Technology is advancing at lightning speed. Predicting what’s coming next is hard. AI is changing how we produce products, do business, and even show our creativity. Companies like Google and Microsoft are investing huge amounts of money in startups that promise to change our lives.

They aren’t stopping there, though. Both companies are battling each other to see which one will reign supreme in this new age of technology.

But with all that is happening in the world right now, let’s stop and take a moment to reflect on the future.

Dream of what the world will look like with these technological advances, and reimagine what we can do with the tools we now use to communicate.

Reimagining a sheet of paper

Nanda Kambhatla, Head of Adobe Research in India, was asked to do precisely this. He was given three questions about his predictions for the future of documents. In Kambhatla’s eyes, there are almost unlimited possibilities to change how we use and experience the written word. According to him, they will take us from consuming disposable pieces of content to becoming dynamic works that evolve in real-time.

“…AI technologies are changing what’s possible. So the trend I’m seeing is that documents are becoming more dynamic, interactive, personalized, and immersive.” – Nanda Kambhatla, Head of Adobe Research in India

Ultimately, through the power of AI, documents will no longer be static objects. Instead, they’ll be interactive devices enabling us to translate information and collaborate in ways we have yet to realize.

Kambhatla imagines a world where a book is no longer a book. Instead, it’s a way to take the written word and immediately convert it into a shorter, more digestible format, as he stated:

“…your car’s user manual is a book, but consuming it as a book may not work when you’re on the side of the road trying to change a tire. What if AI could automatically convert the relevant section of the book into a two-minute video that walks you through the steps?”

If you expanded this further, could condensing dense technical documentation from multiple sources reduce the months or even years of training it currently takes to become an expert?

Kambhatla’s insights help envision a world where documents do more than contain information. We also wanted to join in on this thought exercise and share our predictions for what we expect will happen with documents in the future—with the help of AI.

How will AI affect documents in the future in the short term?

Right now, there’s a ton of fear surrounding AI and what it will take away from us. But if you think about it, there’s a lot of value here. KEYLAY believes documentation will be more fluid and speed up business workflows.

Instead of pulling design files together in weeks, it will be days or even hours to produce dynamic customer-facing documents companies can use in their sales conversations. The future will look bright because people will have access to more in-depth information that instantly transforms.

Imagine reading a lifestyle article about living room design and wondering aloud how a particular sofa would look in your space. The article could update in real-time to show you what it looks like in your living room.

Naturally, this kind of thinking brings up questions about privacy. But, of course, we’re just mulling over what could be.

Over the next decade, what can we expect to see?

It will be all about context. We anticipate the lines between design, marketing, and sales communications will be more intertwined and personalized.

We’re currently limited to creating printed or digital docs that ultimately deliver a singular experience. If you show a PDF presentation to a roomful of people, they’ll all see the exact text and design. They have yet to reach a level of automation and personalization to offer unique, individualized experiences.

This will change as relationships between customers, businesses, and technology become nearly seamless. The documents we see will be designed for individual readers rather than customer segments.

What trends, if any, are we following beyond all things documentation?

Time management. In a time when life is moving faster and faster, how can we use technology to speed up tasks without leaving us feeling disconnected?

In some ways, technology is making us more efficient. But in other cases, this “efficiency” has led to feeling like we have to do more to be productive. How can we readapt ourselves to living and working within a more balanced life with technology?

Documents are the future

We’re still in the early stages of exploring what technology can do for humanity. We’re challenged to dream bigger and push the limits of creativity. And it’s only a matter of time before we can no longer see where design begins and technology ends.

But we’re excited to see what’s on the horizon for enhancing documentation and the transfer of information. Who knows? Maybe some of Nanda Kambhatla’s predictions will come true along with our own.