Using AI to generate sample content
One of the things I use AI for in my work is to create sample content to show on screenshots or to use in examples. It’s a real time-saver! I’m going to share the kind of thing that I do so that you can copy and repeat for your work, if appropriate.
Log in at chatgpt.com.
Enter a descriptive prompt that explains what I want and how I want it to be presented. I generally choose something that’s quite generic and readily available.
For example, recently I asked it to generate:
“Three paragraphs and a bullet list about the different types of fire extinguisher”.
Another one I have used is:
“Three paragraphs and step-by-step instructions on treating a deep cut”.If I’m working in HTML or XML, I’ll ask it to add that too, with instructions on how I want it presented. For example:
“Three paragraphs and a bullet list about the different types of fire extinguisher. I want it in Docbook 5 XML and use the section element instead of article.”Copy and paste the results into your editor of choice. Edit the content yourself to make it better suit your needs.
Why I like using AI for samples
There are a few reasons I like using AI for creating samples:
It creates the content quicker than I could
The content at least looks like it might be correct (which might not be the case if I made it up)
It means I can get a few sections on different industries for examples. I tend to switch between consumer electronics, healthcare, common workplace policies, and tools.
I can control how much information it provides. If I need 6 paragraphs to show the effects of a page break, no problem, I just ask for it.
I can get it in the format I want. For me, that usually means asking for Docbook 5 while avoiding certain elements, so I can paste it into Paligo and get it accepted as valid content.
