Beyond Prompt Engineering: Skills Marketers Need to Successfully Deploy Generative AI

Keywords: Generative AI, Prompt Engineering, Problem Formulation, AI Skills

Abstract:
The emergence of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney and Google Bard has sparked off the rise of “prompt engineering” as a touted job of the future. However, the focus should extend beyond crafting queries to problem formulation, a strategic process for defining the problem’s focus, scope and parameters. Problem formulation involves diagnosis, decomposition, reframing and constraint design. For marketers, framing tasks as problems aids in purposeful AI integration, allowing the reconsideration of strategies. Sustainable skills essential for leveraging generative AI include exploration (identifying appropriate AI solutions), experimentation (dynamic engagement with AI tools) and critical evaluation (discerning AI-generated content accuracy and relevance). As AI systems improve in their ability to understand user intent, managers must move beyond prompt engineering, adapt continuously, explore emerging AI tools and develop skills to articulate complex problems, fostering a critical acumen for assessing AI outputs. These skills are crucial for navigating the evolving generative AI landscape and distinguishing AI leaders from followers.