The AI Prompt Engineering Gold Rush

Why the newest six-figure hype in the job market is a real threat to millions

Frankie Faunet
𝐀𝐈 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐬.𝐢𝐨
11 min readMay 16, 2023

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The AI Prompt Engineering craze is promising wealth and big changes to the job market

Right now it seems like the media doles out a new reason to be excited about Artificial Intelligence every single day. Most recently, we’ve been introduced to a new protagonist on the scene: the AI Prompt Engineer. This fresh character, which has quickly become the topic du jour in media outlets like Time Magazine and Forbes, is being hailed as the beacon of promise for writers and non-technical professionals who find their skills suddenly back in high demand.

You have to greet the pervasive enthusiasm surrounding this new role with a healthy dose of skepticism. Alongside the excited chatter and fanfare, I believe many people are being overly optimistic about this new line of work, in part due to projections of the glamorous salaries these AI engineers are supposedly destined to command. I wonder why I have yet to see anyone ask who pays for these jobs, besides the startups posting very public job ads. And no one seems concerned about the real cost of developing new professional fields.

As we delve into the complexities surrounding AI Prompt Engineering, we are compelled to face disconcerting questions: Have we fully considered the ethical, regulatory, and technological minefields this new field might unearth? Could we be celebrating the birth of a profession that might, in its ascent, actually expedite the decline of other occupations? Could we be lauding an opportunity that’s ephemeral in nature, whose flash might fade as quickly as it appeared?

The Paradox of Technical Progress

The story of artificial intelligence and its influence on the job market is perhaps best understood via its paradoxes. For every step forward, there seems to be a simultaneous movement in the opposite direction. As we introduce AI Prompt Engineering, the latest character in this complex narrative, it’s useful to revisit the history that brought us here.

The arrival of AI, from the idea to recent leaps taken in application, was initially met with a mix of fascination and fear. Could machines really learn to think, create, and decide like humans? The quicksilver advance of technological development has since answered that question for many onlookers in what seems to be the affirmative. Indeed, AI’s capabilities now range from performing intricate surgical procedures to generating human-like text.

Yet, this march of progress has not been without its casualties. Traditional roles have been rapidly automated, leaving many workers displaced and their skills deemed obsolete. Factories are robot driven, labs are automated, and software is running much of our working environment with less and less human input. Against this backdrop, the advent of AI Prompt Engineering is now perceived as a glimmer of hope, a role where human creativity and intuition are valued, and where the non-technical can find their niche in the world of AI.

However, as we look on this so-called opportunity, it’s imperative to question the narratives we are being sold. Is this new role truly a ticket to prosperity for the non-technical? Or is it just another chapter in the saga of displacement, where one set of jobs vanishes while another emerges? In the flurry of optimism surrounding AI Prompt Engineering, are we glossing over the stark reality that jobs are under threat across industries and sectors, geographies and social strata?

This is a story still unfolding, but it is absolutely critical to scrutinize every development with a discerning eye, with an awareness of the potential repercussions. As we venture further into a world in which AI Prompt Engineering presents itself as a legitimate career choice, it’s crucial to remember that all creation is simultaneously destructive.

Soft Skills Back in Vogue

The emergence of AI Prompt Engineering brings to the fore a set of skills that seem to be as familiar as they are intriguing. Communication, attention to detail, organizational abilities — these are all competencies that have traditionally been categorized as “soft skills,” often overshadowed by their “hard skill” counterparts in the realm of technical expertise. But in the daily activities of AI Prompt Engineering, these skills stand to take center stage, forming the backbone of a profession.

Yet, as enticing as this might sound, especially to those of us from non-technical backgrounds, we need to practice caution. While the role of an AI Prompt Engineer might not demand a background in computer science or data analytics, does it truly require “little to nothing in the way of technical knowledge,” as some near-euphoric reports have suggested?

The idea seems dubious. Even if the primary role of an AI Prompt Engineer is to communicate effectively with an AI, it’s important to remember that this is no ordinary conversation partner. AIs, for all their sophistication, still operate within the parameters of their programming, and understanding these parameters likely requires a more technical understanding than we are being led to believe.

Additionally, while the spotlight is on the skills needed to engage with the AI, are we neglecting the necessity of domain expertise? After all, the AI’s output is only as good as the input it receives (as has always been the case with computers). And making sense of this output, refining it, and assessing its appropriateness for a specific task, surely requires deep knowledge of the subject matter at hand.

Finally, let’s not forget the learning curve involved. As with any profession, proficiency in AI Prompt Engineering won’t be achieved overnight. Is the promise of a six-figure salary leading people to overlook the time, effort, and possibly even the formal training required to become a proficient prompt engineer? In the get-rich-quick outlook that structures so much contemporary thinking and activity, there’s a tendency to want to skip the difficult steps in becoming proficient at anything. And we presume quite a bit about what this particular proficiency implies.

Taking the Benevolence of Change for Granted

While breathless news reports might make the AI Prompt Engineering job market appear ripe for the picking, with companies from digital advertising agencies to healthcare providers seeking these new professionals, we have to remember that job markets, especially those in emerging fields, can be deceptively mercurial. Things change and things change fast.

The surge in demand for AI Prompt Engineers is undeniable, with job postings containing “GPT” showing a major rise. This is made even more clear by the emergence of organizations like Anthropic and Rehab, who are reportedly willing to pay impressive salaries for these roles. However, it would be misguided to assume that this initial boom guarantees a sustained, long-term demand.

Emerging fields are often characterized by intense initial interest followed by a period of adjustment as the market finds its equilibrium. Are we currently in the midst of an initial flurry, only to see the demand for AI Prompt Engineers taper off in the near future? And what would that mean for those who have invested their time and efforts in acquiring these new skills? Will, as is increasingly the case with traditional programming, they become the new “blue collar” tech workers, as the skill set becomes generalized? (Don’t forget, “everyday” programmers are the first against the wall with the arrival of LLMs like GPT.)

Moreover, the high salaries currently associated with AI Prompt Engineering might be a simple reflection of the nascent state of this field, where supply has not yet caught up with demand. As more individuals equip themselves with prompt engineering skills, couldn’t we see these salaries deflate?

The underlying concern that cannot be ignored, though, is the impact of AI development on job markets as a whole. While the rise of AI Prompt Engineering might appear to be a boon, it’s intertwined with the potential or even likely decline of other professions. I think we should assume we are actually playing a zero-sum game, where a too-good-to-be-true new job is actually coming at the expense of many others. I could be wrong, but the risk is too high to not proceed as if.

Because that’s just it: in the excitement of the “new,” as always, we must not lose sight of the critical questions that may be too late to ask tomorrow. As the job market evolves to admit AI Prompt Engineering, it’s essential to approach it with skepticism, understanding that today’s golden opportunity could be tomorrow’s fleeting trend (or total blowout).

Promises as Fleeting as…

Strap-in to learn quick, but the bedrock is shifting under jobs in artificial intelligence.

If you look into this brand new world of AI Prompt Engineering, you might be surprised to find that you are already met with a flood of courses promising to equip you with the requisite skills to thrive in this field. Online platforms such as Udemy, Datacamp, and Class Central are already teeming with offerings, each claiming to unlock the secrets of mastering AI prompts. You have to marvel at the speed in which mastery has been reached!

It’s crucial, however, to pause and question the nature of these courses and what they truly have to offer. Are these courses comprehensive enough to cover the wide range of skills that an AI Prompt Engineer is expected to possess, from communication and organizational skills to data understanding and subject matter expertise? And more importantly, can they deliver on these promises? At the speed with which the field is developing, I rather doubt it.

A crucial point to consider is the recency of this area of development. It’s not just that AI Prompt Engineering is such a new discipline, but broad access to Artificial Intelligence is itself a new phenomenon. It raises the question of how well-established and researched these courses can possibly be. What is beyond question, though, is their absolute willingness to take your money (or sell your participation for advertising revenue).

Never mind the potential over-saturation of AI Prompt Engineering hype could lead to a glut of AI Prompt Engineers in the job market. As more and more people get interested, the competition for available roles may intensify, likely driving down salaries and job security. It’s not magic, it’s capitalism, after all.

Navigating the vast sea of new activity around AI Prompt Engineering requires poise. The allure of quick training and high salaries should not blind us to the traps waiting for us right at our feet.

AI and the Speed of Change in the Job Landscape

While the advent of AI Prompt Engineering as a profession is undeniably intriguing, it is crucial to consider the broader implications of this development.

AI technologies, such as ChatGPT and Google Bard, are evolving at hyperspeeds, and with this evolution a dramatic shift in our workforce dynamics is already underway. AI is poised to take over many jobs that were previously the exclusive domain of (arguably) human workers. As AI becomes more adept at generating high-quality text, code, and graphics, the need for human input diminishes or at least changes. Consequently, professions like freelance writing, coding, and graphic design are very likely to experience significant drops, if not all-out free fall.

Amid this backdrop, the rise of AI Prompt Engineering can seem like a silver lining, a profession that not only coexists with AI but thrives on it, and good news for all the people who might have otherwise been left out of the opportunities waiting for us in the future. However, this surface-level analysis obscures a deeper, much more unsettling reality.

The emergence of AI Prompt Engineering might not represent the creation of new jobs so much as a shift in job roles. While some individuals will find well-paid careers as AI Prompt Engineers, many others, especially those in roles threatened by AI, may find themselves out of work. In essence, a single AI Prompt Engineer job could replace multiple roles in other sectors, possibly representing hundreds, thousands, or even millions of individuals. If every dollar of your new six-figure salary represents a job lost to automation that same year, could you still accept the position?

Furthermore, as AI technology becomes more advanced and intuitive, will there come a point where even the role of an AI Prompt Engineer becomes obsolete? Could we be training ourselves for a profession with an expiry date? It wouldn’t be the first time in human history, though there are reasons to wonder if it could be the last.

I admit, the enthusiasm surrounding AI Prompt Engineering is understandable, but it is absolutely essential that we not lose sight of the larger picture: one new exciting job, even in the best of cases, is not a panacea. We have to remember that the AI revolution is not only creating sexy new jobs; it’s also transforming existing ones, not always for the better, and eliminating many, many more.

Don’t Call It a New Profession, Call It a Gold Rush

So where does this leave us? The rise of AI Prompt Engineering puts us in a bind, on the one hand creating a new niche for job seekers, but in all likelihood spelling the end for many other jobs and professions.

This is one aspect of the paradoxical narrative of technological progress. While the high salaries and the novelty of AI Prompt Engineering offer a tantalizing vision of the future, the wider implications should leave us with pits in our stomachs. The potential mass displacement of jobs in sectors like writing, coding, and even areas like law or healthcare, cannot be overlooked (however we might personally feel about lawyers…).

The long-term viability of the AI Prompt Engineering profession itself is uncertain. The rapid evolution of AI likely mean that the same skills being taught today could be obsolete tomorrow. The current narrative around AI Prompt Engineering, brimming with optimism and opportunity, needs to face reality. The undeniable truth is that with the rise of any new profession, there will be winners and losers. And in this case, the winners are sure to be few, and the losers many.

In an era where the “hottest new programming language is English,” I think we need to practice extreme caution. With the rapid advancements in AI and the subsequent shift in job markets, it’s important to question the sustainability of the new professions these changes usher in, and the unspoken cost in human lives that will make such novelty possible.

To some, AI Prompt Engineering may seem like a beacon of hope in an ever-evolving job market, but you do not need an advanced piece of technology to keep a few common-sense ideas close at hand, including the idea that anything too good to be true likely isn’t. In other words, this is a gold rush, and just like it was in the Yukon a century ago, there will be some seductive stories of triumph and riches. But just like it was then, the gold rush will be surrounded by death too. AI Prompt Engineers are going to have their moment, I’m certain, but before you change your life for that flash in the pan, consider what it really costs all of us to chase after something that glitters.

By the way, if you like what you read here, feel free to follow me on Medium or subscribe to my free (and fun) newsletter on preparing to survive the AI Apocalypse!

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Frankie Faunet
𝐀𝐈 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐬.𝐢𝐨

French-American exploring the intersection of humanity & tech: cultural critic, AI enthusiast, & author of forthcoming "99 Ways to Survive the AI Apocalypse".