Prompt Engineering Isn't a Job, It's a Phase

A year ago 'prompt engineer' was a real title. It's already fading, because the skill is merging into using the tool, like 'google operator expert' was never a career.

As models get better at inferring intent, the elaborate incantations matter less. The people who thrived at prompting are really good at specifying outcomes, which is just clear thinking with a new name.

The durable skill is knowing what you want and recognizing a good answer. That was true before AI and stays true after. The incantation layer is a temporary tax on a model that can't yet read your mind.

Hire for judgment, not for prompt tricks. The tricks age out; the judgment compounds. A title built on a transient gap won't survive the gap closing.

Learn prompting to use the tools now, but don't build an identity on it. The phase ends when the tools get smart enough to skip it, and they're heading there.