Are you an arts graduate looking for a high-paying tech job? The rise of ChatGPT technology has created a new, lucrative role: prompt engineer. With the ability to earn up to $335,000 per year, this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. But what exactly does a prompt engineer do, and is it really the job of the future?
San Francisco-based AI start-up Anthropic has introduced the role of “prompt engineer and librarian.” Prompt engineers are responsible for making AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, deliver accurate and relevant information. By crafting prompts in plain English, they can guide AI models to produce better results.
This emerging field is vital due to concerns about the potential dangers AI chatbots pose to society. Generative AI models can produce deceptive, inaccurate, or irrelevant content, making the need for prompt engineers more critical. As generative AI becomes increasingly popular, prompt engineering is expected to become a “superjob” of the future.
To become a prompt engineer, you don’t need to write software code; you need to understand how to use plain language to elicit the best responses from an AI model. Anthropic’s job posting requires only a high-level familiarity with the architecture and operation of large language models.
The role has been compared to an “AI whisperer,” with professionals often coming from backgrounds in history, philosophy, or English language. These individuals excel at distilling complex meanings into a limited number of words.
However, some experts express concerns about the longevity and reliability of prompt engineering. The unpredictable nature of AI model responses means that no exact method can be laid down for best results. Despite these concerns, the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has undoubtedly opened up new opportunities for non-technical individuals to excel in the tech industry.
