Key Points
- A Sydney-based marketing communications company has advertised for a ChatGPT prompt editor.
- The field of prompt engineering has existed for less than a year.
- AI is going to impact impact every industry, a data science expert says.
Many Australians have dabbled with using the artificial intelligence (AI) tool ChatGPT, but would you list it as a skill on a resume?
Not so long ago communications companies such as Sydney's Ultimate Edge Communications might have posted a job advertisement for a copywriter (someone who writes advertising and marketing material), but instead this week it advertised the role of 'ChatGPT prompt editor.'
For those who are not across it, ChatGPT uses machine learning to generate human-like responses to text prompts.
A Sydney company wants someone who can create advertising and marketing material by prompting the ChatGPT tool. Source: Getty / 2d illustrations and photos
Are human workers going to be replaced by computers?
The advertisement on job site SEEK for the prompt editor position, which is a freelance role, lists the hourly rate of pay as $50. It asks for someone who can "prompt ChatGPT and transform its output into compelling copy that captivates audiences and drives sales."
It states: "THE WORLD HAS CHANGED - we are NOT looking for someone to write copy from scratch. Those days are gone."
While some people may have been concerned that AI would make jobs redundant, the advert makes clear that a human worker will still be required.
"ChatGPT and other tools still can't do that without a human editor or proofreader," the advert states.
Director of the WA Data Science Innovation Hub, Alex Jenkins, said he did not think the role of a copywriter would be replaced by artificial intelligence.
“But I do think a copywriter is going to be replaced by another copywriter who knows how to get the most out of ChatGPT,” he said.
The advert on SEEK searching for someone who can prompt the online tool ChatGPT and transform its output into compelling copy.
“We're going to see drastic changes in the workforce and the requirements for jobs in a number of areas are going to change dramatically in the coming years, starting now,” he said.
New skills for work
Mr Jenkins said the field of knowledge related to the skills required to be a ChatGPT prompt editor was called prompt engineering and it had existed for less than a year.
“It’s so new that you’re not going to get a degree in prompt engineering,” he said.
However, there are online tutorials and guides about effective prompt engineering.
Despite it being such a new area, Mr Jenkins doesn't believe it will be around for long.
“I actually think that prompt engineering is just an interim,” he said.
“The big challenge with AI is, how do we get the AI to do what we want? Engineering helps you get the best out of the AI but as the AIs get to better understand our intent and our requirements, it will be much more like talking to a staff member or a colleague.
“When that happens, we'll need to spend less time optimising our prompts and we'll just be able to give the AIs tasks in the same way that we give a person tasks.”
Are other industries looking for AI knowledge?
SEEK has been monitoring mentions of AI skills in job advertisements placed on its site since January 2022 and its senior economist Matt Cowgill said this was one of the first roles to mention ChatGPT specifically.
He said most of those roles had been for those working on the technology rather than using the technology to carry out another role.
Mr Cowgill said he suspected it was "still early days" and suggested at this stage while knowledge in AI was likely a skill employers were keen to see, the specific related keywords were not being reflected in broad role titles and descriptions.
Just a handful of roles that are listed on SEEK each month currently mention prompt or AI engineering.
But Mr Jenkins said it was just a matter of time.
Director of the WA Data Science Innovation Hub Alex Jenkins said AI would impact every industry in some way. Source: Supplied / David Broadway
Mr Jenkins said in Australia there was a lot of potential around the technology's use in transport and logistics.
"You can imagine the economic benefits, particularly in a country as large as Australia; freight trucks that can travel across the country, without the dangers of fatigued truck drivers," he said.
"I think that Australia is actually an excellent place to pioneer this technology because we have long roads and we have problems with driver fatigue, we have these long logistics routes, so I would like to see Australia take a lead in that area."
