The confusion
Prompt engineering designs inputs to elicit desired outputs from a specific model. Interpretive governance defines structural constraints that apply regardless of the model, the prompt, or the operator.
Why the distinction matters
Prompt engineering is operational: it depends on model behavior, context windows, and tuning. Interpretive governance is normative: it declares what counts as a legitimate interpretation, what may be claimed, and what must be withheld — independently of how a system is prompted.
A prompt can be well-engineered and still produce outputs that violate governance constraints. A governance framework cannot be reduced to a set of prompts.
The boundary
- Prompt engineering controls how a model responds.
- Interpretive governance constrains what counts as a legitimate response.
These operate at different layers. Governance sets the boundaries; prompts operate within them.