AI is revolutionizing the workplace as we know it. These tools are allowing the ability to automate repetitive tasks, such as capturing meeting notes and drafting emails. It can even help with much more complicated tasks, such as creating lines of code or crafting images. However, becoming familiar with prompt engineering is necessary to fully reap AI’s benefits. Prompt engineering is defined as the art behind structuring instructions that are fed to these tools to ensure the most specific outcomes possible. There are plenty of methods to do so, including generated knowledge prompting and chain of thought reasoning.
AI literacy is still very undeveloped among the workforce. Even while 81% of IT workers say they are confident in their abilities, only 12% are skilled enough to use AI efficiently. For example, an untrained IT worker would ask generative AI to make an image with simple instructions, such as “create an image of a rooster”. A worker with heightened understanding of AI prompt engineering would specify the number of styles and colors that they want. Creating clear and simple instructions the first time removes the need for multiple iterations of a task, which drives down productivity.
Companies are aware of the disparity of skills among their workforce. According to 60% of IT leaders, it is the largest skill gap facing their companies. Too many employees do not know how to effectively use it at work and get the most value from the tool. Employers are now starting to require some level of familiarity with AI – two-thirds of IT leaders won’t hire someone without AI skills. One way to gain these skills is for employees to take an online certification course that is designed to teach users the basics of prompt engineering. Some specific modules cover AI applications in areas like financial management, marketing, and Excel.
