While I understand where this author is coming from. and agree that we’ve had a number of false starts or silly concepts like “prompt engineer”, there is definitely a skill in using LLMs, and it is a spectrum for different people.
Being completely engrossed in the new trends is probably not necessary, but keeping abreast of what’s possible and trying new things is. People who have an ignored/avoided LLMs completely are not able to just pick them up today and be as productive as people who have been learning the best ways to use them over the last couple years.
Many of the “skills” are not new, it’s the same skills you’ve been using throughout your career, just with a new tool. But any new tool requires practice and learning what it’s capable of.
I’m constantly experimenting around the edges of what LLMs are good at because it keeps changing and just because an LLM wasn’t good at X task 6 months ago doesn’t mean it still isn’t good at it today. The only way you can know is by testing and trying out things.
I work with a number of smart people, but their LLM proficiency is a wide spectrum. LLMs might/are a leveling factor, but there is still skill in getting what you want out of an LLM. This is most apparent to me when I interact with people who aren’t developers or aren’t as technically savvy. They just aren’t able to produce or get the same things out of an LLM that a developer or more technical person can.
Being completely engrossed in the new trends is probably not necessary, but keeping abreast of what’s possible and trying new things is. People who have an ignored/avoided LLMs completely are not able to just pick them up today and be as productive as people who have been learning the best ways to use them over the last couple years.
Many of the “skills” are not new, it’s the same skills you’ve been using throughout your career, just with a new tool. But any new tool requires practice and learning what it’s capable of.
I’m constantly experimenting around the edges of what LLMs are good at because it keeps changing and just because an LLM wasn’t good at X task 6 months ago doesn’t mean it still isn’t good at it today. The only way you can know is by testing and trying out things.
I work with a number of smart people, but their LLM proficiency is a wide spectrum. LLMs might/are a leveling factor, but there is still skill in getting what you want out of an LLM. This is most apparent to me when I interact with people who aren’t developers or aren’t as technically savvy. They just aren’t able to produce or get the same things out of an LLM that a developer or more technical person can.