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?
Ingrid ChaconCustomer Experience and Project Manager| Compufast PremiumBogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia
I think it will help to differentiate PMs and command higher value. This will help to facilitate things and to have more time to analyze. Saving Changes...
"Prompt engineering doesn`t have to reduce the valeu of project management. On the contrarary, when used well, it can free up time for strategic decisions and help PMs stand out. The risk is that if everyone uses it the same way, skills may become commoditized. Saving Changes...
I believe that we could see both happen depending on how a business uses the tools. With the need now to check outputs against desired results there's the need for experienced PMs familiar with the project to check the results. As the trust in the outcomes becomes more accepted and trusted, several traditional roles of the PM could be replaced so it's imperative that PMs learn how to use these tools to their advantage to anchor their continued value in the project management so that the tools don't replace them. Saving Changes...
The adoption of prompt engineering will give value in project management to those who have a good capacity to adapt in this disruptive world.
I agree with you, we need to improve all time our capabilities, in specific our domain of IA Promt enginnering, because the current professional competition is hard, and if you don't have this skill you will be outdated. Saving Changes...
Although this question was posted over a year and a half ago, the continued engagement from learners worldwide reflects the growing relevance of AI in project management. In fact, I personally have noticed a significant rise in job postings for AI focused Project Manager roles across Europe compared to last year, which is a clear sign of market evolution.
From my perspective, prompt engineering will not commoditize project management. On the contrary, it empowers PMs to work more efficiently, navigate complex challenges, and leverage AI as a strategic partner. With the right skills, PMs can use prompt engineering to enhance decision-making, automate routine tasks.
I believe that the implementation of prompt engineering helps PMs effectively manage the project and achieve better project results, which is an absolute plus for the entire team that worked on the project. Saving Changes...
Danielle EtheredgeDirector of Training| Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training CenterAugusta, GA, United States
The rise of prompt engineering won’t commoditize project management, it will reshape it. If anything, it’s an amplifier. AI tools and well-crafted prompts can automate reporting, scheduling, risk flagging, and even parts of stakeholder communication. Those are important, but they’re also repeatable tasks that technology naturally absorbs over time.
Where the differentiation comes in is how PMs use those tools. A prompt can generate a project plan, but it takes a skilled PM to judge whether that plan makes sense in a real organizational context, to adapt it for culture, politics, and shifting priorities, and to lead people through execution. The “human layer” of influence, negotiation, and judgment isn’t commoditized. It becomes even more valuable when the mechanical tasks are automated.
In other words, prompt engineering can level the baseline of PM skills (everyone can generate a status report with the right command), but it raises the ceiling for those who know how to combine technology with leadership. PMs who can integrate AI into their toolkit, while still providing critical thinking, risk foresight, and people leadership, will differentiate themselves and command higher value.
So rather than seeing prompt engineering as a threat to the profession, I see it as the next evolution: the ones who thrive will be the PMs who learn to lead through AI, not fear being replaced by it.
Hello Sara,
While GenAI is helpful and can shorten the path to get faster results, I believe we shouldn't 100% depend on it for everything. Creativity comes first. Moreover, AI don't replace humans. We could use GenAI for a lot of useful techniques, yes it is extremely helpful, but also we should depend on our creativity and innovation more often. To sum up, AI can make the processes and work faster, efficient, and effective, but sometimes we should use our talents and skills to create the things that we excel at. Saving Changes...
Ishwar SinghProject Management| Kyndryl Solution Pvt LtdGhazibad, Uttar Pradesh, India
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. Saving Changes...
Asif KhanProduct, Program, Customer and Executive Mgmt| IBMAshburn, Va, United States
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.
Program and Project Mgmt is not just about a role that can be automated, there is stakeholder mgmt. team mgmt, customer relationship mgmt and other areas especially in B2B and more complex programs and business environment where Program/project managers role cannot be replaced. Human interactions are more complex. AI and prompt engineering can provide tools and technologies solution to augment and support the role with ease of doing business Saving Changes...
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