According to recent research by KPMG, while only 2.5% of tasks may be fully replaced by AI, nearly 40% of jobs will be affected—not by elimination, but by transformation. This shift demands a workforce that understands AI concepts, algorithms, and their real-world applications.
The result? Soaring demand for AI-literate professionals—and mounting pressure on learning and development (L&D) teams.
What are the benefits of AI in L&D?
From helping write training materials and delivering more content (faster!) to updating content more frequently and meeting varying learning styles, AI is critical to L&D, according to KornFerry. The rise of AI is taking over the professional landscape, and businesses are adapting quickly to implement AI in their workflow.
Why is AI prompt engineering in L&D an essential skill worth investing in?
- AI needs real guidance from real people. It doesn’t fully understand your goals unless you clearly define them. Taking the time to prompt-engineer means putting in the effort to translate your goals into a language that a machine can understand.
- Prompt engineering is a skill that works across any platform— not just Chat GPT. That means no matter which module is best for businesses as time goes on, your skills will still be up to date.
- If you can write, you can prompt. The fun part about prompt engineering is that it’s not coding. You don’t need to learn a new language or code scripts; you just need to be able to communicate thoroughly.
What is an AI prompt?
And why is AI in L&D so important? According to MIT, a prompt is simply a way of getting the conversation started with whatever AI you’re using (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or more). By writing a prompt, you’re detailing your request with specific details about the task you’re looking to expedite with AI. Without a prompt full of specific details, AI may give a vague or incorrect answer because it wasn’t provided all the information needed to guide its response.
What are the most common AI prompt styles?
So you have a big work project, and you know you need a detailed prompt to gather the information you’re looking for. What now? Here are the top three most common prompt styles, when to use them, and why they work.
| Prompt Type | How to use | Why it works | Example |
| Zero-shot Prompt | Give clear and quick instructions without examples to get a fast, general response or summary. | This keeps the instructions simple so AI doesn’t get confused and delivers a quick summary. | “What are the key takeaways from this audit in 5 bullets?” |
| Few-shot Prompt | Provide a few examples for AI to learn your tone and give a stylized, similar response. | Giving generative AI snip-its of how you write teaches the model to copy your tone and style. | “Here are 3 of my last captions. What should I say in this social media post?” |
| Instructional Prompt | Includes specific verbal commands about the task, such as “rewrite”, “analyze,” or “explain.” | Focusing on how to complete the task helps AI return the specific result you expect. | “Analyze this data set into a 100-word summary.” |
What prompt styles do I give AI in the L&D Industry?
These examples show how focusing your questions to not only a specific prompt type – but subject matter as well – to provide clearer, detailed information.
The Report Summarizer is a prompt that gives a quick general summary. Give AI a “course” or “topic” to get a summary and key takeaways for learners. Online courses always have distinct takeaways that can be muddled in the details, and AI is great at focusing on what’s needed. Try asking, “What are the 3 main takeaways from this Cybersecurity course?”
The Learning Path Generator is a prompt that aligns courses with goals. Provide examples of previous courses you’ve taken to get a recommended learning path and direction. AI understands end goals and course objectives to keep you on the right route to impactful learning. Ask AI, “I previously completed the Business Writing Basics Training. How can I further my reporting skills?”
The Skill Gap Analyzer is a prompt that seeks to evaluate. Use specific commands like “analyze” or “assess” my experience and point out opportunities for growth. AI can learn your personality, skills, and goals to understand where there is room for development. Instead of doing this manually, Oro, OpenSesame’s talent growth machine, can conduct a skill gap analysis for your whole workforce and suggest online learning courses to close those gaps.
How is AI being used across the L&D industry?
These specific prompt examples show how AI is being used across industries, especially in L&D, because of its ability to understand the needs and objectives of each individual, rather than treating the team as one unit. This helps distribute skills more effectively across the team and supports both individual growth and the broader goals of the organization.
What is most important to consider as AI progresses?
This isn’t just good advice—this is where the world is headed. According to the World Economic Forum, prompt engineering is becoming a core skill to keep companies running smoothly, and for some teams, it’s even becoming a full-time job role.
“Right now, it would be downright dangerous to use [generative AI] without having a human in the loop, but I think even going forward we are going to develop a new job, the job of prompt engineering”
– Professor Erik Brynjolfsson, Director of the Digital Economy Lab at Stanford UniversityWant more ideas on new ways to prompt engineers and stay ahead of the skill gap?
Explore OpenSesame’s curated lists for beginner AI prompting or our advanced level AI prompting course, and then try using one of these prompts in your favorite AI module today.
About the author
Jason Martin was born outside of Boston in Newton, MA, and now lives in Denver, CO with his partner and pitbull puppy, where he works in the education marketing space. He is an avid musician and AI advocate to best optimize workflows and enhance processes.