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?
En lo personal el uso de IA Generativa me ha ayudado a mejorar la calidad de la documentación y reducir tiempos en actividades repetitivas que pueden automatizarse, por ello impulso una iniciativa en mi organización para que mas PMs hagan uso de ella. Saving Changes...
Shortly, prompt engineering won’t commoditize project management skills — if PMs use it to enhance what they already do best. Instead, it can help differentiate top PMs and increase their value. Project management isn’t just a set of tasks — it’s about: reading organizational culture, building trust with stakeholders, de-escalating conflict, negotiating priorities, leading teams through uncertainty All these are social, emotional, and strategic skills that AI cannot replicate on its own. Prompt engineering may assist with outputs, but it can’t replace these human capacities. Saving Changes...
Generative AI can definitely leverage the skills of project managers, yet the solid value of project managers translating the ideas into actions with the project team who usually happen to have different priorities, variable backgrounds and sometimes conflicting cultural differences, remain the untouched edge of a true project manager. Gen AI can prepare the recipe, improve it and suggest presentation ideas, but the final taste remains the untouched role of a skilled project manager. Saving Changes...
Julie GeorgeTest Manager| ThinkPalm TechnologiesPathanamthitta, Kerala, India
Just as Excel didn’t commoditize finance professionals, AI won’t commoditize strong PMs. It shifts the bar.
I believe AI helps project managers differentiate themselves and generate greater value if they integrate these new technologies into their daily work. It streamlines processes and supports decision-making, but adaptation, training, and the use of up-to-date tools are key. it's essential to operate these tools with a solid understanding of their use to maximize their benefits. On the other hand, AI is still an emerging field, meaning it can potentially overlook ethical boundaries that require the soft skills of a qualified Project Manager
AI, with its rapid engineering capabilities, is revolutionizing project management. The automation and streamlining it brings to the various project phases are indeed major advantages of AI in project management. However, we must remain vigilant and aware that AI cannot solve everything. In my view, the project manager must always retain control and have the final say on the information provided by AI.
I believe that, for project managers, certain aspects of their skills and behaviors, such as emotional intelligence, rely less on AI for effectiveness. Consequently, project managers must make the right choices to optimize the added value of AI in their projects. Saving Changes...
AI, with its rapid engineering capabilities, is revolutionizing project management. The automation and streamlining it brings to the various project phases are indeed major advantages of AI in project management. However, we must remain vigilant and aware that AI cannot solve everything. In my view, the project manager must always retain control and have the final say on the information provided by AI. Saving Changes...
I believe GenAI flattens all that routine project “paperwork,” but it doesn’t diminish the value of people who can think, make decisions, and lead others. And prompt engineering? To me, it’s just a way of using AI more intelligently - so it strengthens your judgment, strategy, and stakeholder leadership instead of replacing you. Saving Changes...
Ryan CarlsonContent and Curriculum Manager| Modernizing MedicineDelray Beach, Fl, United States
Prompt engineering with the human element will continue to move project management forward, and I have little concern for there to be any kind of true 'replacement' of our roles. I think it's important to know AI technology and to stay informed so you are not left behind.
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Max DislaAssociate Director, Project Management| KyndrylArverne, Ny, United States
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.
You are spot on Raman. GenAI (and now add to that Agentic AI) will add pressure to the profession and commoditize many of its functional skills. That said, 1) thank goodness all projects are unique and thus 'the source of new knowledge' will continue to be the humans in the lead. And 2) soft skills are one aspect where we human will continue to be better than AI, especially as new generations adapt new societal values, which in terms adds change to the equation that AI can only learn it if and when we teach it to the LLM. Saving Changes...
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