Prompt engineering: how to train AI for your use

Today, artificial intelligence is everywhere, but it’s not something that appeared out of nowhere. One of the most important yet underrated development tasks is prompt engineering, which helps better understand the prompts or queries made by users.

This task is carried out by a prompt engineer, who helps generative AI understand language as a whole, including nuances and intentions. Today, we’ll discuss how this works and the benefits of this strategy in AI development.

What is a Prompt?

A prompt is an English term that refers to an instruction, query, or command to interact with a computer system, typically an AI. In this way, we use prompts to give instructions on what we want the system to do.

For example, if you want an AI to write a text, you’ll ask it through a prompt with clear instructions. Once written, the AI analyzes, interprets, and generates content based on your request.

So… What is Prompt Engineering?

For AI to understand what you’re writing, it needs to be trained. This is called prompt engineering, which involves the engineering and design of the responses or outputs that the AI provides to what you write.

To do this, it’s not only necessary to know programming languages like Python and understand structures and algorithms. You also need to be familiar with language models and have strong communication skills, usually in English.

When training AI correctly, it needs to understand vocabulary, phrasing, linguistic context, nuances, and local expressions from different regions.

Moreover, they must be familiar with the industry the model works in. For instance, if it’s an AI generating images, it should know about photography, art history, or movie shot plans. If it’s text-based, it must be aware of literary theories and writing techniques.

What Does a Prompt Engineer Do?

When carrying out their work, this professional performs the following tasks:

• Trial and Error: By using different commands and phrases, the prompt engineer assesses the system’s capabilities to handle queries. Several tests are needed to see if the system responds well to all commands, not just a few.
• AI Training: Once some areas for improvement are identified, the language model must be trained. For example, specific input values may be added to guide it toward the desired outcome. If any issues are found in the database, the engineer will report them to the IT team for adjustments.
• Adaptation to Each User: Another task of this engineer is to understand the target audience. For example, if the AI chatbot belongs to a store, the prompt engineer would tailor it to the store’s market segment. This helps the AI sound more professional, neutral, serious, or even child-friendly, depending on the context.
• Setting Boundaries: Last but not least, the prompt engineer must set limits to ensure the tool serves its intended function. For instance, if it’s a chatbot, it shouldn’t engage in casual conversations with customers but provide clear answers to their problems.

Benefits of Prompt Engineering

This discipline offers several advantages for AI development:

• Increased Accuracy: With proper training from the engineer, the AI will provide more accurate responses. Instead of wasting time with multiple queries, the model will better interpret what you’re saying and deliver useful results.
• Resource Savings: By functioning more effectively, the system saves resources. It reduces the need for corrections or repeated queries due to errors, making it easier to get the right result the first time.
• Better Decision-Making: If you’re using AI models for analysis, content generation, or strategy development, this will help. You’ll get clearer and better-structured responses, aiding in decision-making.
• Competitive Edge: If you’re one of the first to implement this strategy, you’ll have a competitive advantage. Prompt engineering can adapt to various needs, from creating virtual assistants and customer service chatbots to generating images and texts tailored to your business.
• Increased Creativity: While the engineer trains the AI, the AI can also inspire others. With its accuracy, it’s easier to get creative ideas, especially for artistic work. You can generate an accurate image of something you have in mind and visualize it more effectively with AI.