“. . . . creating and refining the text prompts people type into the AI in hopes of coaxing from it the optimal result. Unlike traditional coders, prompt engineers program in prose, sending commands written in plain text to the AI systems, which then do the actual work.“
Drew Harwell
The newest job in the AI economy is a “prompt engineer,” someone who can construct a query that a large language model best understands. Some think prompt engineers are a passing fad, eventually to be replaced by better AI models or greater prompting familiarity with prompt construction, much like people got better at searching with Google.
For now, they command attention and income. THE WASHINGTON POST reports one job posting for a prompt engineer with a starting salary of more than $300,000.