The AI Prompt Gold Rush for Content Creators

In recent years, the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence (AI) have developed rapidly. Users only need to type a few words, and models such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grok, Midjourney, or DALL-E can transform them into stunning visuals.

The term for these instructions is prompt, commands given to AI models to generate content, whether text, images, or videos. Recently, AI-generated photos and illustrations have become increasingly popular.

According to Tempo, many content creators have begun regularly sharing tutorials and free prompts on social media. Through these activities, creators are generating income in various ways: selling e-books containing collections of prompts for creating photos and videos, offering AI-based visual content services, and becoming speakers in training sessions on AI-assisted photo and video creation.

Gunawan Ariyanto, S.T., M.Comp.Sc., Ph.D., a lecturer in Informatics Engineering at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), believed that the emergence of the prompt business is a logical consequence of the rapid development of AI technology.

According to him, the way people currently interact with AI largely relies on text-based instructions or prompts entered through conversational interfaces.

"Artificial intelligence is most commonly used by the public through prompts. In other words, users give instructions through chat, and the AI executes those commands," Gunawan said during an interview on Saturday (6/3/2026).

Gunawan explained that in the future, interaction with AI may not rely solely on prompts. Other technologies, such as AI agents, are also beginning to develop, although their use is still largely limited to developers or those with technical knowledge of computer systems.

"In systems that use a chat interface, interactions inevitably take the form of prompts," he said.

Collections of AI prompts have now become digital commodities traded across various prompt marketplaces, platforms where prompt creators and users meet.

One of the most well-known is PromptHero, a marketplace that focuses on collections of prompts for AI image generators such as Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion.

"In these marketplaces, millions of prompts are available to browse, both free and paid. Users can also choose prompts based on style, theme, or their creative goals," Gunawan explained. He gave examples such as categories related to office work and productivity, which include prompts that help users write better emails, draft reports, and support educational needs such as assisting with academic assignments.

In addition to PromptHero, there are other marketplaces such as PromptBase, where sellers can set the price of their prompts, typically ranging between USD 1.99 and USD 10 per prompt. On some platforms, creators can even offer custom prompts at higher prices, depending on their complexity and functional value.

Other platforms such as TokoPrompt and PromptVersal have also emerged in the Indonesian market. TokoPrompt offers prompts across various categories, ranging from design and business strategy to productivity, with prices starting from tens of thousands of rupiah per prompt or prompt package.

Collections of AI prompts are increasingly becoming part of a new digital economy. They are now marketed across multiple platforms, with prices depending on quality, niche specialization, and functional value.

Although the rise of AI has sometimes triggered provocative content and misinformation, it has also sparked new innovations in education and knowledge dissemination. Gunawan mentioned how historical visualizations created with AI can make learning more engaging.

"In the past, history lessons were often considered boring. Now many historical videos are visualized with AI, allowing us to see more clearly what war scenes or life in the past might have looked like," he said.

Gunawan believed that visual approaches like this can help people understand complex topics more easily. However, for the prompt business ecosystem to grow responsibly and avoid misuse, the development of AI must be accompanied by clear ethical frameworks for its use.

The prompt business phenomenon is also seen as part of the evolutionary cycle of the digital economy. Novel Idris Abas, S.Kom., M.M., a lecturer in Digital Business at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), said that the emergence of prompt-based businesses is not surprising.

According to him, every phase of digital technological development inevitably gives rise to new professions and business models that leverage the technology.

"If we look at business cycles in the digital world, things like this are actually quite normal. When the internet first began to be used for business, professions such as affiliate marketers and dropshippers emerged. Later, when social media became a business tool, new roles like social media specialists appeared," Novel said.

Novel saw the prompt business as part of many people's efforts to capitalize on artificial intelligence development. However, not all prompt-related businesses have the same level of sustainability.

According to him, the sale of simple prompts, such as collections packaged as e-books, may only be a temporary trend riding the popularity of AI. In contrast, at a more advanced level, such as prompt engineering, prompt marketplaces, and AI workflow design, the sector has the potential to develop into a new professional field within the digital economy.

Novel believed that the economic value of AI prompts lies in their ability to improve work efficiency. The quality of the output largely depends on the instructions or prompts provided by the user.

"In a business context, time efficiency and output quality carry economic value. With the right prompt, tasks that previously took hours can be completed in just minutes," he said.

The future of AI prompt market in Indonesia is also considered quite significant. This is supported by the country's high number of digital technology users, including entrepreneurs, freelancers, and content creators who are increasingly utilizing AI to enhance their productivity.

However, the AI prompt market has a unique character, as many creators also share prompts for free on social media. At the same time, prompt marketplaces such as PromptBase have begun to grow as global platforms for buying and selling prompts.

Because of this, Novel predicted that future economic value will not only come from selling prompts themselves, but from the broader AI ecosystem. "In the future, the economic value may not come solely from prompts, but from the ecosystem surrounding them, AI training, AI-based automation systems, workflow templates, and the integration of AI into business processes," Novel concluded.

Writer: Genis Dwi Gustati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva