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?
Timothy KenneyProgram Manager| USAFBlack Hawk, Sd, United States
err Saving Changes...
Anonymous
AI will, in my opinion, totally replace project managers in the future. Future project management positions will involve starting fresh, creative companies and endeavors. Additionally, the title will be changed to "project creator." Saving Changes...
JOSE SOLISGeneral Manager| SolaraGuatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala
May 24, 2024 4:18 PM
Replying to Esha Srivastava
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I have been using a few gen AI tools, specifically chatbots, data analytics tools to simplify my work in day-to-day PM role. They work great for prompts like summarization, comparison and some level of data mining, but there are many use case scenarios where one can't totally rely on the AI tool to get the final solution. For e.g. I tried mining a spreadsheet and convert certain texts into shorter characters required to visually represent my data into a line/bar chart. While the chatbot wasn't able to give me the final graph, it saved me several minutes in getting an excel formula with examples, that I was able to use to convert the big spreadsheet into more sensical data table, and moreover it gave me steps to quickly create the line chart that I eventually wanted. All that within 10min.
So, I see potential in increasing productivity!
Can AI really MANAGE a Project, maybe if the only resources on a project is a lot of bots. From my limited experience I can see value in documenting a project, assisting in creating project management artifacts and providing insights into how to deal with issues etc. The human element in projects and the unstable environment in which projects are executed still require good old-fashioned management. Saving Changes...
Kingsley ChukwumaluHealth Services and Quality Improvement Director| Population Service InternationalAbuja, Fc, Nigeria
May 25, 2024 7:54 PM
Replying to Raman Chadha
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I think any technology that can automate parts of the project management chain can commoditize project management skills once it becomes commonplace. GenAI could be the most powerful such technology that we have seen yet, at least in the recent past. That said, there will always be room to use it as an enabler for managing more complex tasks, e.g., tasks that involve more human to human interaction. We are only scratching the surface of how it can be used and for the foreseeable future, I think it can help differentiate Project Managers if they are open to embracing it and experimenting with it. More than prompt engineering, it will be about being creative in identifying new use cases that GenAI could solve.
I totally agree. The skills that require human to human interaction such as stakeholder engagement, negotiation, navigating complex situations will still relevant in project management and business. Saving Changes...
Unfortunately, my company forbid uploading internal documents to other GenAI than the internal one, which is basically light years from what is currently on the market. That limits a lot the potential to work with AI. Saving Changes...
As Shyamal Roy, CISA, CGEIT, CEH, OCP DBA, Senior System Analyst, I would say:
Prompt engineering will not commoditize project management; rather, it will reshape it. While AI-driven prompts can automate routine planning and reporting, true project management requires contextual judgment, stakeholder alignment, and governance oversight. PMs who master prompt engineering as a tool will differentiate themselves—leveraging AI for efficiency while focusing on strategic decision-making and value delivery.
I think like any tool, AI will help automate or speed up many tasks and aspects of the project and project management. But AI cannot replace the essential human connections required for driving the project to completion. AI itself even requires human interaction. Ultimately, I think as humans, we yearn to connect. A project is a connection between humans, all with something to give and something to gain. I think it is this relationship that will prevent AI from completely taking over Project Management and allow PMs who perfect AI to separate themselves from the rest. Saving Changes...
The application of prompt engineering will bring greater value to project management, especially for professionals with a high capacity to adapt in an increasingly disruptive scenario. Saving Changes...
Absolutely—AI doesn’t replace the judgment, leadership, and stakeholder management that PMs provide. Prompt engineering can actually enhance a PM’s toolkit, enabling faster insights while highlighting their strategic impact Saving Changes...
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