Artificial intelligence is experiencing a true boom, offering professionals opportunities for career development and attractive employment conditions. This is partly due to tools like ChatGPT, which, although not new, have become widely accessible. Anyone can now witness the capabilities AI and ChatGPT has to offer. However, the tool is not perfect and still requires the work of specialists who will test various query models to achieve the best results. One of the new professions that meet the market demand is the prompt engineer, also known as the AI enchanter. What does their work involve, and what exactly is this "prompt engineering"?
Who is a prompt engineer?
Representatives of certain professions, especially in the IT industry, may fear that the artificial intelligence will take away their jobs. Yet, where some may lose opportunities, others can gain them. In reality, there is a high likelihood that new professions will emerge, creating demand for specific skills. In other words, artificial intelligence requires a creative human work. One of the "hottest professions" in the technology industry right now is the prompt engineer. In a loose translation, a prompt engineer is a prompt wizard or an expert in writing artificial intelligence commands. Bloomberg agency proposed the enigmatic name "AI Enchanter" for this role. Individuals in this position specialize in achieving the best results by issuing appropriate commands to AI. If artificial intelligence is to produce valuable texts, there needs to be someone who asks it the right questions. Learning prompts that AI understands best is essential.
What are prompts, and why improve them?
Prompts are short texts or questions used to communicate with AI-based systems like ChatGPT. They serve as cues for the model, allowing for the specification of expected responses and behaviors. They provide users with the ability to express their intentions and expectations clearly to AI-based systems. As a result, specialists can obtain more precise answers and better outcomes. Properly designed prompts enable users to influence the language model's behavior. Prompts can be used to direct the model's attention to specific contexts. They can be tailored to suit the preferences and needs of many specialists, such as adjusting styles, communication tones, specificity of questions, or cues to better align with individual requirements. For example, if the system is intended for providing legal advice, prompts can be designed to address the specifics of the field and provide accurate and relevant responses.
What does a prompt engineer do?
A prompt engineer is involved in designing and optimizing prompts to improve the system's response quality. Their tasks include experimenting with different prompts, exploring the model's reactions to various sets of instructions, analyzing results, and adjusting prompts for better outcomes. How does this work in practice? Prompt engineering can be applied across various industries, including marketing, customer service, law, medicine, and IT. By understanding how to work with AI models effectively, specialists can utilize their potential in project management, data analysis, decision-making, and trend forecasting. For instance, prompt engineering can be beneficial for customer support consultants. Well-designed prompts can assist in identifying problems correctly, providing appropriate instructions to users, and delivering quick and accurate solutions.
Skills of a good prompt engineer
Writing good prompts requires specific characteristics and skills. Creativity is one of the most critical attributes, as crafting engaging prompts demands flexibility, openness, imagination, and the ability to merge different concepts effectively. Attention to detail is also highly desirable. Prompt creation is a task that lacks a single correct solution. A specialist must iterate over their command until they achieve satisfactory results. Grammar, style, and coherence are crucial details for effective prompts. A single word change can significantly impact the quality of the response! Communication occurs in natural language, so the expert should have strong writing skills - prompts should be concise, specific, and written in plain language. Although the prompt engineer profession is still relatively uncommon, gaining experience is crucial for creating good prompts. This can be achieved through a strong interest in the field and experimentation. Candidates for this position should be inquisitive and open to continuous learning. Technical knowledge and skills also play a significant role. The specialist should understand how the model works and comprehend what happens after issuing a command, enabling them to bypass limitations and leverage the model's strengths.
Prompt engineering - a profession of the future?
Just last year, no one had heard of the prompt engineer profession. However, it is now becoming increasingly popular worldwide. In Poland, this field is still in its infancy, but with each passing month, new job offers for prompt engineer specialists emerge. One of the companies that have offered employment for prompt engineers is InPost. Rafał Brzoska, CEO of InPost Group, tweeted: "We're already looking for AI experts at @InPostPL. Maybe the first in PL" (source).
Some experts consider the prompt engineer as a profession of the future, while others believe it is a new skill complementing the competencies of programmers or project managers. Regardless of whether prompt engineering will be a distinct profession or an element of working with AI, it is worth developing specialized skills now. The development of artificial intelligence naturally pushes specialists to acquire new skills in this area. By doing so, candidates can gain a competitive advantage in the job market and significantly increase their earnings - it is estimated that specialists can earn up to $330,000 (approx. 1.4 million PLN) per year. Companies worldwide are carefully following the development of artificial intelligence, predicting how it will impact their industries and how they can adapt. These companies highly value specialists who can effectively utilize such systems.
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