One of the things I’ve been using Chat GPT & Copilot for has been to save me time looking through device manuals for things I don’t know how to do.

Today’s request, “This is a photo of my washing machine. It has a ‘Clean washer’ option on the dial, but I don’t know the instructions for that. Could you please let me know what they are?”

It was simple enough, I just needed to add bleach, but asking the question rather than flipping through a 40+ page manual with tiny font is just so much better. Recently I’ve also used AI instructions to fine tune the settings on my hot tub. Again, this was so much easier than pulling out the manual.

It’s like having a specialist at your disposal. Soon AI will be the manual. There will be a QR code on the device and when you scan it with your phone it will send you to an intelligent, personified AI manual which will ask you how it can help. Then in conversation, text, & with created-just-in-time video, it will guide you step-by-step.

You know those annoying, ‘Getting Started’ instructions that help you set up things like a remote control? Well AI can help make those instructions both easier and interactive for when things don’t go as smoothly as expected.

We are just a few years away from never having a paper manual shipped with new devices again. Because, there will be an AI agent designed to help you with far more detail and context specific assistance than an analog booklet could ever provide.