Dubai’s Global Prompt Engineering Championship focused on developing skills in AI technology. The event concluded on Tuesday, announcing winners in three categories. Further, the winners also earned the title of Best Prompt Engineer in Generative AI Applications and shared a prize fund of Dh1 million ($272,290). The winners were Indian Ajay Cyril, 33, for coding, Indian Aditya Nair, 34, for literature, and Austrian Megan Fowkes, 30, in the art category.
In AI, a prompt is a specific request made to a language model, like ChatGPT, which provides a response or solution. Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, emphasized that the event showcased global talent and aimed to inspire the adoption of AI tools. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of practical prompt engineering skills for the future workforce and improving life quality through AI.
“Having the best prompters from around the world competing will inspire our population,” Mr. Al Olama said.
Participants competed in coding, literature, and art, showing the broad use of AI tools. “We want to show people that these tools can be used by both technical and non-technical individuals,” Mr. Al Olama added. He praised the diverse skills demonstrated by participants. “What stood out was their ability to structure prompts for the best technical output without writing code,” he said.
Benedette Ghione, a judge for the art category, focused on the creativity behind the prompts. “The technology is amazing, but the person behind it is key. How they think shows in the prompt,” she said.
Prompt Engineering paves a path for AI into the Future
Megan Fowkes, the art category winner, emphasized the importance of specific prompts. “It’s about having a good idea and bringing it to life, not being too generic,” she said. Additionally, addressing concerns about AI replacing jobs, Mr. Al Olama stressed understanding its capabilities and limitations. “People fear AI because they don’t understand it. When you use it, you see what it can and can’t do,” he said. The UAE views AI as a tool for good. “We regulate against bad use cases. This competition shows AI’s positive potential,” Mr. Al Olama added.
The first day of the two-day event on Monday selected nine from the top 30 prompt engineering programmers to compete in the final phase on Tuesday at the Museum of the Future. The event was organized by the Dubai Future Foundation and Dubai’s Centre for AI.
