Evolution has been a relentless chisel, carving out the most adaptable species from the rigid rock of existence. Through this process, nature has masterfully sculpted creatures that excel in their chosen domains, from the soaring grace of the eagle to the fluid agility of the cheetah to the extreme resourcefulness of the Namib desert beetle.
This force has also shaped humanity, with our intellect and curiosity leading us to the zenith of innovation: GPT-4 or Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer – 4.
This latest model of generative AI has emerged as a game changer in the landscape of the future job market. It is poised to redefine how we perceive and approach work in the coming years, creating new roles and drastically altering existing ones.
Information and knowledge are the main currency for anything to create value. And the skills to derive accurate information in the form of prompt engineering are quickly becoming the trade of choice. This burgeoning field, central to GPT-4 and similar AI tools, involves fine-tuning AI-driven prompts to achieve optimal results. No longer will jobs be confined to manual tasks and repetitive duties; the future belongs to the prompt engineers who harness the power of AI to reshape industries and sectors.
To harness the full potential of generative AI, businesses can deploy the technology in four primary ways:
- Text prompt: Input text prompts and receive results via the web-based interface – the most popular approach for beginners
- Prompt engineering without APIs: Integrate generative AI tools with other technologies and workflows manually or through screen scrape and robotic process automation (RPA) technologies
- Prompt engineering using APIs: Programmatically set and evaluate prompts, allowing for seamless integration of generative AI with a wide range of applications
- Custom build/direct interaction with a foundation model: Leverage versions of GPT-2/GPT-3 or other foundation models for bespoke implementations, although this would not involve the customized versions of GPT-3 or GPT-4
The disruptive power of prompt engineering
As millions worldwide, including the world’s biggest companies, embrace generative AI, industries must grapple with the implications of integrating AI technologies into their operations. From Microsoft’s incorporation of ChatGPT in Bing and Office apps to concerns about job loss and misinformation, the conversation surrounding generative AI’s role in the future of work is complex and ever-evolving.
According to a McKinsey report, automation could displace as many as 800 million individuals by 2030. And not surprisingly, prompt engineering is fast becoming a critical skill in healthcare, finance, customer service, education, and marketing, among others.
What makes generative AI more disruptive than most previous technologies is its accessibility. With its no-code interface, tools like ChatGPT transcend the barriers of complex machine-learning models that require specialized knowledge and coding skills. This ground-breaking accessibility means that anyone, regardless of their technical background, can harness the power of AI-driven technology.
Prompt engineers: The new hot property on the job market
The employment landscape is shifting rapidly, and as generative AI tools gain momentum, a new breed of professionals is emerging: prompt engineers. These experts are responsible for fine-tuning AI chatbots to improve their responses, ensuring accuracy and creativity in the AI-generated output. With salaries reaching up to $335,000 per year and no strict requirement for a tech degree, it’s no wonder that prompt engineering is becoming a hot job in the AI-driven market.
Online learning platforms have already identified this growing trend and have launched numerous courses on prompt engineering. These courses teach learners to create thousands of unique prompts for AI tools like ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, and MidJourney. Students learn to generate text and image-based prompts, tailor them to specific writing styles and genres, and access resources, templates, and guides. These courses cover automating the prompt-writing process using AI-powered prompt engineering tools, ensuring learners are future-ready.
The emergence of prompt engineering as a lucrative and in-demand profession is a testament to AI’s capacity to create new opportunities. Companies increasingly recognize the value of hiring prompt engineers to optimize their AI applications, leading to a thriving job market.
As AI advances, the demand for prompt engineers will grow exponentially. These experts play a vital role in refining AI applications, making them more efficient and effective. OpenAI, for example, is hiring hundreds of engineers to enhance the reliability and effectiveness of their machine learning platform, ChatGPT. Salaries for research and engineering roles at the firm reach $370,000.
Prompt engineers improve AI-generated responses and ensure that the AI avoids embarrassing or offensive errors. By engaging in conversations with the AI, engineers help the system recognize its mistakes and refine its “reasoning” process. This work also involves identifying the AI’s weaknesses, such as its tendency to “hallucinate” or produce nonsensical output, and correcting these issues within the system.
According to Goldman Sachs, integrating advanced natural language processing tools into businesses and society could drive a 7% (or nearly $7 trillion) increase in global GDP and boost productivity growth by 1.5 percentage points over a decade. With this profound impact on the horizon, it’s clear that prompt engineers will play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI applications and the world at large.
How prompt engineers can impact industries
According to GS Research, the total addressable market for generative AI software is estimated to be $150 billion, compared to $685 billion for the global software industry. This potential underscores the significant impact that prompt engineers can have across various sectors.
Emad Mostaque, founder and CEO of Stability AI, recently told Goldman Sachs that with generative AI, “it has become possible to imagine an AI-generated new season of Game of Thrones. You’ll see the entire cost structure of media creation, video game creation, and others change dramatically.”
Here’s an example of the already seismic impact prompt engineers have on the entertainment industry: Sunspring, a short science fiction film, was created using an AI-driven script generator called Benjamin, which utilized prompt engineering to generate a screenplay based on thousands of existing movie scripts.
And here’s the result:
As the saying ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’ goes, the emergence of prompt engineering has the potential to elevate not just a select few but entire industries. Human ingenuity and AI synergy will define this new era of work.
The evolutionary journey that has led us to prompt engineering is far from over. We must embrace the opportunities and shape a future where we continue to evolve, adapt, and thrive.
