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 GenAI tools are good, useful, and a great help to the job, but they will never be a replacement for work tasks or a full human being. Currently, you can start with basic level prompt engineering to produce prompts and improve the settings to make them more and more useful or valuable. It is interesting to know that you can augment your own data to make improvements, as their accuracy is only as good as their most recent training. Saving Changes...
PM's role will combine with BA role with the assistance of AI. Requirements will be automatically generated fromo recorded discussions. Fewer roles will be available. Prepare by becoming part of the product origanuzation or SAFe Agile. Companies are not ready to hand their product development ove to AI - yet. Saving Changes...
I know I'm late to the discussion, but i believe AI in Project Management is a useful tool. It does boost your ability to perform tasks efficiently, thus the Project Manager and team functions better. However, I do believe that accepting the evolution of technology is critical, and so training workers in AI and creating new work fields/ area to filled that gap will be crucial to ensure that the human element remains. Saving Changes...
Franklin CurayProject Manager| EBTELQuito, Pichincha, Ecuador
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.
Everything is possible Saving Changes...
Tessa BergemannProject Management| Enterprise VisionsMinneapolis, MN, United States
I think this depends on how well people in general adapt to this new technology. It is changing rapidly, and a very new technology for people to be using in the workforce. I think this offloads a lot of mundane tasks from the project manager to create more efficiency in their work to focus on more pressing tasks. While I also think that AI can sometimes "feel" human, it is not. PMs can still differentiate themselves with great leadership and communication skills that AI cannot, while utilizing the insights that AI has to offer. Saving Changes...
I feel it is a valuable tool with certain risks. However, it will not be easy to commoditize project management skills, as that would require deeper knowledge of project management and the ability to use AI to its full potential. Combining these would be possible but not easy. There will surely be people who would use AI effectively to run projects, however, the chances of generalization are low.
It will help PMs differentiate themselves by adding more value and efficiency to the role. Another risk I am seeing is that over-reliance on AI may cause a reduction in critical thinking and in some projects, there could be legal challenges of using AI because of the sensitive nature of the project or information. Saving Changes...
Michael ZambonPrinciple Digital Product Manager| American Water CompanyWoolwich Township, Nj, United States
The widespread adoption of prompt engineering could commoditize certain routine project management tasks, but it also presents significant opportunities for PMs to differentiate themselves and command higher value. By automating administrative functions, PMs can focus on strategic aspects like stakeholder management, risk mitigation, and aligning projects with business goals. Leveraging AI-driven insights for better decision-making, embracing adaptability and innovation, and excelling in leadership and interpersonal skills will make PMs indispensable. Thus, while some tasks may become commoditized, the ability to integrate AI tools and demonstrate strategic and leadership capabilities will elevate the role of PMs in the evolving landscape.
Saving Changes...
Michael ZambonPrinciple Digital Product Manager| American Water CompanyWoolwich Township, Nj, United States
The widespread adoption of prompt engineering could commoditize certain routine project management tasks, but it also presents significant opportunities for PMs to differentiate themselves and command higher value. By automating administrative functions, PMs can focus on strategic aspects like stakeholder management, risk mitigation, and aligning projects with business goals. Leveraging AI-driven insights for better decision-making, embracing adaptability and innovation, and excelling in leadership and interpersonal skills will make PMs indispensable. Thus, while some tasks may become commoditized, the ability to integrate AI tools and demonstrate strategic and leadership capabilities will elevate the role of PMs in the evolving landscape.
Saving Changes...
Anonymous
AI has become a powerful tool for managers to help us with projects and overcome hurdles that can put a project behind schedule. As we apply more AI practices and understand how to properly interact with it. Results will be very beneficial for any organization that wants to thrive in this new AI world. Saving Changes...
There’s no doubt that AI-powered tools can help project managers (PMs) achieve more in less time, boosting productivity significantly. However, there’s another critical factor we need to consider—team development and succession planning.
When we talk about "experience," we typically mean the hands-on effort invested in acquiring skills and delivering project components. While prompt engineering allows today’s PMs to automate a significant portion of their workload, it comes at a cost: the development of the next generation of PMs.
One could argue that future PMs will also rely on AI to handle routine tasks. But who will verify the accuracy of AI-generated work? Managing AI hallucinations and ensuring reliability requires experience—something the next generation may lack if they aren't actively involved in the work.
Growth comes from making mistakes, and mistakes only happen when we’re hands-on. If AI takes over too much, we risk creating a future where PMs lack the critical expertise needed to oversee and refine AI-driven processes. While we may not have an immediate solution to this challenge, we must prepare for it now.
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