AI Systems vs Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering became popular because it was easy to start. AI systems engineering exists because real systems require control.

Why Prompt Engineering Breaks in Production

• No audit trail
• No escalation or human override
• No cost control
• No guarantees of behavior

What AI Systems Engineering Includes

• Multi-step workflows
• Human-in-the-loop checkpoints
• Agent permissions and boundaries
• Monitoring, logging, and audits

Career Impact

Prompt-focused roles are fragile and short-lived. AI systems roles are long-term, trusted, and scarce.