Prompt Engineering: How to Actually Get What You Want from AI

Prompt engineering bridges the gap between generic AI responses and useful outcomes by providing specific context, such as user roles and desired formats. While prompt engineering is cheap, fast, and reversible, it differs from fine-tuning, which involves training the model. Most LLM teams begin with system prompts before deciding whether to continue steering the prompt or invest in training. Both techniques are essential for steering model behavior, though they serve different operational needs and budgets.