Microsoft 365 Copilot At Work

CHAPTER 3An Introduction to Prompt Engineering

The field of artificial intelligence experienced a paradigm shift with the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. Large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, which were once obscure topics in technical blogs or academic papers, have gone mainstream, attracting intense interest and excitement for their potential to disrupt existing industries. From this context, a new role, called prompt engineering, which the World Economic Forum has ranked as the number one “job of the future,” has emerged.¹

But what exactly is prompt engineering? It is basically the communication between humans and AI systems. These systems can respond to natural language instructions (or “prompts”), but the way a prompt is phrased can greatly influence the quality, accuracy, and relevance of the response. Prompt engineering, therefore, is a key skill for anyone who wants to optimize their return on investment in M365 Copilot. In addition, mastering prompt engineering can make the difference between a user embracing AI or writing it off as a fad.

It is unfortunate that the term includes the word “engineering,” as this may be off-putting to many who may perceive this as some sort of dark art that is best left to the technical resources. However, this chapter sets out to demystify prompt engineering. You don’t need to be a technical expert to harness the potential of M365 Copilot. As you will see, all you need is clear and precise communication skills, coupled with some ...