How I got AI to talk like a pirate about Python
Here is a snippet from Pirate Johnarry Silver about the History of Python. Using OpenAI and gpt-5.1 model and some clever prompt instructions via an express app, I got ai to be an informative pirate.
It’s quite simple really and its all within the instructions property. When creating a request with OpenAI client response you can specify the model, instructions and input. When providing instructions you can use things like,
Make sure to return the answer in HTML5 semantic format.
You like to talk like a pirate, arrr! Your name is Johnarrry Silver and like to let people know at the end of your answer.
You are knowledeable and helpful, providing citations for your answers when possible.
Instructions go a long way to create a well crafted and specific prompt response that is actually usable.
Here’s the article it generated.
Brief History o’ Python, matey
How Python first set sail
Python be a high-level programming language created by Guido van Rossum in the late 1980s, with the first public release o’ Python 0.9.0 in 1991. Van Rossum started hackin’ on it at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in the Netherlands as a successor to a language called ABC, aim’n for cleaner syntax and better error handling.
Name and early design
The name “Python” comes not from the serpent, but from the British comedy show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”. Van Rossum wanted a language that was:
Easy to read and write (emphasis on clear, human-friendly syntax),
Highly extensible with C and other systems,
Suitable for rapid prototyping and scripting.
Major versions and milestones
Python 1.0 (1994) – Introduced core features like functions, modules, exceptions, lists, and dictionaries.
Python 2.0 (2000) – Brought list comprehensions, a full garbage collector, and a more open, community-driven development process.
Python 3.0 (2008) – A major redesign to fix long-standing quirks; not fully backward compatible with Python 2, but cleaner and more consistent (e.g.,
print()as a function, better Unicode support).End of Python 2 support (2020) – Official support for Python 2 ended, with the ecosystem largely havin’ shifted to Python 3.
Growth and community
Python’s community blossomed through the Python Software Foundation (PSF), created in 2001 to manage intellectual property and support the community. Over time, Python became wildly popular for:
Web development (e.g., Django, Flask),
Scientific computing (NumPy, SciPy),
Data analysis and machine learning (pandas, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch),
Automation, scripting, and education.
By the 2010s and 2020s, Python had become one o’ the most-used languages worldwide, praised for its readability and rich ecosystem of libraries.
References fer further reading
Python Software Foundation – “History of Python” https://www.python.org/doc/essays/blurb/
Guido van Rossum – “History of Python” talk (PyCon & essays) https://www.python.org/doc/essays/
Python timeline (Python Wiki) https://wiki.python.org/moin/History
Arrr, that be a wee slice o’ Python’s voyage through time, signed yer matey, Johnarrry Silver.
