Will the widespread adoption of prompt engineering commoditize project management skills, or can it help PMs differentiate themselves and command higher value?
Director, Learning Design & Development| PMIAsheville, NC, United States
Hi PMI Community! I’m Sarah Philbrick, and I work as a Product Manager at PMI with a focus on our learning offerings. As we go on this skill-building journey together, I’m excited to engage in meaningful conversations, explore trending topics, and learn from each other.
Reflecting on one such topic, GenAI and prompt engineering, I am interested to hear your perspective on commoditization vs. differentiation.
Will the widespread adoption of prompt engineering commoditize project management skills, or can it help PMs differentiate themselves and command higher value?
I think it depends on how PMs adapt to the changing atmosphere and climate as AI continues to be a part of everything we do moving forward, whether we all like it or not - this is the direction of things.
I think prompt engineering can commoditize parts of project management that require accuracy and repetition, and especially accuracy in their repetition for efficiency purposes. One of the areas where I see human "intelligence" fall short is in anything that requires streamlining processes in a way that is smart, intuitive and utilizes meta-data inputs to truly think through the problem at hand to create solutions that are valuable for all parties involved. AI will most certainly be able to far surpass human "intelligence" in this way very very soon in any area desired, if it hasn't already.
A PM who knows how to wield AI tools while guiding others, the vision for the team and even company in some instances (e.g. smaller companies or family-owned companies), can naturally align stakeholders like a gift, and can continually manage risk and navigate uncertainty, etc. will continue to, at least for a while, stand out above AI. However, I would argue in my experience that these types of PMs are maybe 1 in 1000 at best. Whereas AIs can be trained to become this 1000 in 1000 times. It just may take a few more years. With that said, humans have supposedly been around for tens of thousands of years (or more) and they still haven't figured it out, even with endless training and education, so I don't see, realistically, humans having a chance.
The widespread adoption of prompt engineering will not commoditize project management; instead, it offers a strategic opportunity for PMs to elevate their value by leveraging AI to enhance decision-making, communication, and stakeholder engagement. By mastering prompt engineering, PMs can automate routine tasks and focus on delivering higher-order insights and leadership, thereby differentiating themselves in a competitive landscape.
The widespread adoption of prompt engineering will not commoditize project management; instead, it offers a strategic opportunity for PMs to elevate their value by leveraging AI to enhance decision-making, communication, and stakeholder engagement. By mastering prompt engineering, PMs can automate routine tasks and focus on delivering higher-order insights and leadership, thereby differentiating themselves in a competitive landscape.
While prompt engineering may streamline certain aspects of project management, skilled project managers who combine technical knowledge, soft skills, and strategic thinking could be continue to command higher value.
I agree – it is not just enough to understand GenAI and AI in project management. A seasoned project manager would understand how to leverage their knowledge in "Strategic" project management and will ensure the right usage of the tool and its output.
A mediocre PM would never be able to understand the difference between the real approach to a situation vs a hallucinated output by the AI tool. Saving Changes...
I don’t see prompt engineering commoditizing our skills—in fact, it’s more of an amplifier than a threat. The PM role has always been about orchestrating clarity from complexity, aligning teams, and delivering outcomes. Prompt engineering just becomes another tool in that toolkit. Those who learn to use it well can streamline communication, automate low-value tasks, and focus more on strategy and stakeholder management. It actually sharpens the differentiation between PMs who simply track tasks and those who think critically, adapt fast, and lead with insight. The tech-savvy PMs who integrate these tools won’t be replaced—they’ll be the ones setting the pace. Saving Changes...
Prompt engineering is crucial not only for project management but for effectively using GenAI across all domains. It enables users to extract the most accurate and relevant outputs from the system. The quality of results largely depends on how well the user crafts and refines their prompts—a process that often requires multiple iterations. The best way to achieve fast and precise results is by providing your own contextual or project-specific data as input.
Prompt engineering is crucial not only for project management but for effectively using GenAI across all domains. It enables users to extract the most accurate and relevant outputs from the system. The quality of results largely depends on how well the user crafts and refines their prompts—a process that often requires multiple iterations. The best way to achieve fast and precise results is by providing your own contextual or project-specific data as input.
This trend raises important questions about the future of project management in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Many people have wondered whether AI will replace project managers. It's clear that PMs need to adapt and learn how to use and leverage AI to stay relevant and effective in their roles.
Who would have imagined 20 years ago that vehicles would not need drivers? We may not be there yet, but we will be soon.
I agree. The only constant thing is change so we need to adopt it. Prompt engineering will definitely help to do certain task and PM can focus on human expert skills. Saving Changes...
Hi Sarah, You have asked a very relevant question. I think that prompt engineering will definitely be a very effective tool for the PM to use going forward provided the PM is open to use GEN AI as a tool. A PM should not instead think it is some day going to replace a PM. I feel a PM's role is lot more complicated for a AI toll to replace the role at least in the near future. Yes the PM's role will make it more easy once he applies the Prompt engineering tools and techniques in different Projects which will enable him to execute and manage Project outcomes more effectively. I strongly believe that a PM will differentiate himself in the long run if he is proficient in the GEN AI principles and not eliminate the PM role as some might think. Saving Changes...
I believe prompt engineering to AI tools is the way project managers can enable themselves to standout by using GenAI tools to product exceptional outputs in their reports and their project management skills; if a project manager does not hop onto this GenAI ship, they will become like Nokia and Blackberry. Saving Changes...
PMI Team Member
