Office of Information Technology (OIT) staff can use Microsoft Copilot to draft public-facing digital content, including the following:
- Emails to the IT community or end users
- Step-by-step instructions for public knowledge articles
- Service or technology information for web pages on the Technology Help website
Note:
- It's very important to keep in mind that AI-generated content can be inaccurate, misleading, entirely fabricated, or offensive. You must carefully review any work containing AI content before you use or publish it.
- These instructions should only be used by OIT staff to draft public-facing content.
- Review the University's appropriate use guidance before using generative AI.
Creating Prompts
The information, sentences, or questions that you enter into a generative AI tool, known as prompts, directly influence the quality of the output you receive. When you enter a prompt, the AI model analyzes your input and generates a response based on the patterns it has learned through its training. More descriptive prompts can improve the quality of the output.
When creating prompts to draft content for users about technology changes, it is important to consider the following:
- Be clear and concise. The prompt should be clear and concise so that the AI can understand what you want it to do.
- Provide all relevant information. The prompt should include all of the relevant information that the AI needs to know in order to draft the content, such as the nature of the technology change, the date of the change, and any instructions for end users.
- Use plain language. The prompt should be written in plain language so that the AI can understand it.
- Avoid jargon and technical terms. The prompt should avoid using jargon and technical terms that the AI may not understand.
- Specify the audience. You can provide specific details about the audience within your prompt. Including information about technical skill level or familiarity with the technology or service can help the AI tailor its output to that group of users.
By following these guidelines and using the templates below, technologists can use AI to effectively draft content for users about technology changes.
Using Prompt Templates to Draft Content
Sometimes the most difficult part of drafting content is beginning with a blank page. Use the following templates to get started. Fill in the specific information for your use case and review the output for accuracy and tone. AI does not replace human review and editing.
Prompt Templates
- Create an email and subject line for end users about action required for the upcoming retirement of [X technology]. Most users are highly technically skilled, while a small portion may need more support with the change.
- Create an email and subject line for University of Minnesota IT staff about the upcoming change to [X technology]. Request that staff refer to the information in the email if they receive questions about the change from users in their units.
- Create step-by-step instructions for [specific technology task].
- Draft content for a [content type] page for [X service/technology] to be published on the it.umn.edu website.