Prompt Engineering (2024)

textiles

Words by Isabelle Laxamana, ChatGPT-4o mini, Junnade Ali

“Can you write a poem responding to the prompts: AI, diaspora, technology, touch?”

This work was born out of a desire to create a complement to Touching Wires, and a different reflection on my relationship with AI. I considered the idea around ‘prompt engineering’, and the traces of labour when interfacing with generative AI. I invited five poets to contribute poems to be displayed alongside ChatGPT’s response, but only two responded within the 3-month window I had dedicated to the work—a lengthy timeout period rarely given to computers. This process reminded me of the nuances in communicating with humans, but also the fact that I had practiced all my life to do so. I had very little practice in communicating with AI models, and had consciously avoided ChatGPT in my work. Therefore, who was I to judge those advertising their prompt engineering skills?