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?
Gonzalo JustinianiSenior Project Manager| PanCO Construction Consultants, IncPanama, Panama, Panama
I've been discussing this topic with other colleagues in online platforms, and what I've come to realize is that the issue boils down to accountability. We as project managers hold a responsibility to the project and stakeholders that no AI can replace. You simply cannot make AI responsible for the output of the project. It would be like blaming a hammer for driving a croocked nail. Saving Changes...
Reindolf DomeyOther| Vivo Energy Ghana LimitedAccra, Greater Accra, Ghana
May 24, 2024 5:41 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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With the new generation of generative AI portfolio/program/project manager and business analyst role "are dead" at least in the way they were originally defined. I think a good source to understand that are the two courses on generative AI delivered for free by the PMI, mainly if you see the 3 layer model.
Much as prompt engineering helps PMs and all others to be efficient and effective, PMs can still differentiate in their technical abilities and strength of execution, getting things done Saving Changes...
Reindolf DomeyOther| Vivo Energy Ghana LimitedAccra, Greater Accra, Ghana
Jul 09, 2024 5:45 PM
Replying to Baba Mohamed CISSE
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The adoption of prompt engineering will give value in project management to those who have a good capacity to adapt in this disruptive world.
The combination of in-depth domain skills and knowledge will continue to be important and AI will only enhance, filtering out those that have not. It is important to know your domain, the people, character, reasoning, relationships, etc. The speed of success will become more important as others leverage AI just as you must also, but AI is still a tool that cannot take away the spirit of the human.
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1 reply by Svetlana Rojevsky
Jul 20, 2025 5:52 PM
Svetlana Rojevsky
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I agree. It will help create time for project managers to more effectively manage stakeholders and project team. PMs empowered by AI taking care of routine tasks, will be able to re-focus their attention on reviewing the generated framework, and adding necessary details. It can serve as a "second pair of eyes" checking the project timeline for efficiency, and hopefully, can notify the PM if based on current information the project timeline is slipping. I do not think that the role of the PM can be fully replaced by AI, however it will no longer be the same as it was before.
The widespread adoption of prompt engineering will provide more options for project execution, which in turn will lead to more complex challenges. As a result, project managers will inevitably need to address these challenges through differentiated approaches. Saving Changes...
The widespread adoption of prompt engineering will not commoditize project management skills. On the contrary, it can serve as a powerful enabler for project managers to enhance their value. While AI and prompt engineering provide structured, data-driven outputs, they do not replace the human qualities of creativity, contextual judgment and strategic foresight.
Project managers can leverage AI-generated insights as a strong foundation and from there, apply their experience, intuition and domain knowledge to develop innovative solutions, drive complex decisions and manage uncertainty more effectively. In this way, prompt engineering becomes a catalyst for deeper thinking, continuous learning, and research-oriented problem-solving & enabling PMs to go beyond the limitations of AI and truly differentiate themselves in a technology-driven landscape.
The introduction of Gen AI in project management is a step in the right direction and has brought tremendous value to project managers. It will assist PMs to access and process large and complex data within a very short time. Saving Changes...
The adoption of AI will of value to all who use the capability; however, project managers already have a specific skill set in understanding the requirements of the project and the AGILE process. This tool will only enhance a project manager's desirability in the work force. Saving Changes...
GenAI and large language models are accelerating the creative process in project management by helping PMs generate ideas, streamline communication, and quickly produce high-quality documentation. As an emerging technology, it continues to evolve—placing greater responsibility on PMs to stay current and adapt. Those who leverage these tools effectively can differentiate themselves and command higher value in a rapidly changing landscape.
The combination of in-depth domain skills and knowledge will continue to be important and AI will only enhance, filtering out those that have not. It is important to know your domain, the people, character, reasoning, relationships, etc. The speed of success will become more important as others leverage AI just as you must also, but AI is still a tool that cannot take away the spirit of the human.
I agree. It will help create time for project managers to more effectively manage stakeholders and project team. PMs empowered by AI taking care of routine tasks, will be able to re-focus their attention on reviewing the generated framework, and adding necessary details. It can serve as a "second pair of eyes" checking the project timeline for efficiency, and hopefully, can notify the PM if based on current information the project timeline is slipping. I do not think that the role of the PM can be fully replaced by AI, however it will no longer be the same as it was before. Saving Changes...
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