Glossary What is Prompt Engineering?
By / 2 Jan 2023 / Topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Prompt engineering is a method for getting specific outputs from a generative AI model by providing it detailed information. Prompt engineering is used for both text- and image-based generative AI models and can be done for day-to-day use and development purposes to train the AI Model.
In some contexts, a generative AI model user can be a called a prompt engineer. They are the person providing the model information so a desired outcome is achieved. Prompts can be written in the form of questions or requests. Common use cases include:
- Asking the generative AI model to explain a concept
- Having the model write an email or generate an image.
The prompts need to be specific and consider the meaning behind each word and how it can be interpreted by the model. Teaching users and developers effective prompt engineering will be critical for effective generative AI adoption.
Prompt engineering best practices
Whether you’re using generative AI or building a model, there are many common approaches to effective prompt engineering, including:
- Providing the model many variations of the same request to refine the output or further train the model
- Teaching your users to watch and report discrimination or misinformation to eliminate bias
- Sharing prompts that yielded effective results among users
- Establishing approval workflows that review the outputs before they are used in a business context
