As artificial intelligence continues to improve, prompt engineers today must face an uncertain future. Indeed, some companies have tried to ride the wave by hiring these professionals capable of generating text, images, or even videos through prompts. However, several months after the initial enthusiasm, AI models have evolved almost exponentially, making the use of prompts much more accessible and democratized. The interfaces of these AI models are now much simpler to use and no longer require advanced technical skills.
The simplification of tools and the evolution of required skills
According to some experts, the profession of prompt engineer has only temporarily existed within certain companies. The progress made, especially with tools like GPT, HeyGen for generating video avatars, or MidJourney and Stable Diffusion for images, has made the art of prompting much simpler to master. Thus, prompt engineers will need to reinvent themselves and adopt new skills to remain relevant in this constantly evolving sector.
Prompt engineering, a skill rather than a profession?
Guillaume Lebrasseur, a teacher at the Institute of the Internet and Multimedia and Gobelins, believes that prompt engineering could be considered more of a skill than a full-fledged profession. He explains that mastering prompts remains essential to fully leverage the potential of these tools, similar to how knowledge of Latin helps better understand the nuances of French.
Towards a diversification of tasks and responsibilities for prompt engineers
It seems likely that the profession of prompt engineer will evolve toward a diversification of its tasks and responsibilities. Thus, instead of focusing solely on prompts, professionals will need to learn to manage the interconnections between different systems, as well as the third-party services surrounding AI models. Furthermore, the very design of these models requires an advanced understanding of the machine in order to effectively communicate the intentionality of a request. “Only humans define it”, reminds Gilles Moyse, for whom mastering prompts still retains a central importance.
The importance of artistic sense and creative expertise
Anis Ayari emphasizes that the true added value of users who know how to skillfully leverage tools like Midjourney or Dall-E lies in their artistic sense and creative expertise. Just as today, it is humans who can recognize the potential of a work of art; tomorrow, it will also be experienced creatives who will know how to guide generative models to produce original and impactful creations.
Prompt engineer: a future focused on humanity and the selection of the best results
In summary, although the profession of prompt engineer has generated a lot of enthusiasm for some time, it seems destined for a short existence in its initial form. On the other hand, these professionals may turn to new technical responsibilities and showcase their deeply human skills, particularly in selecting the best results provided by AI models. Mastery of prompts thus remains a valuable asset for engineers, who will nevertheless need to adapt to the changes in their sector to avoid disappearing.
