AI in Project Management: Is the future of project management in the hands of humans or led by AI?
AI is everywhere: on our phones, our cars, the online services we use, and in our work lives. In most workplaces, discussions about AI utilization have been had, and AI-powered tools are popping up everywhere. Need some text written, a summary of a meeting, or some calculations done? There’s an AI for that!
There are endless use cases for AI, and it can be utilized by executives, marketers, developers, and project managers, among others. With new AI capabilities, is there still a need for human-led project work, or will AI take the reins in its virtual hands?
Our very own Irina is an experienced Project Manager, but has also studied AI extensively. Here’s Irina’s opinion on project management and its future with AI.
Will AI replace Project Managers?
“In a nutshell: Not anytime soon. AI does not replace the human touch. AI-enabled tools can extensively support many aspects of project work, but project management still involves a number of human-centered responsibilities that are difficult to fully automate.
Some examples include:
Navigating differing viewpoints and varying priorities.
Handling unexpected issues during meetings or discussions.
Balancing budgets and adjusting plans with evolving project scopes.
Facilitating clear, empathetic communication between team members, even when the topic is sensitive.
Preparing customer-facing documentation that reflects the nuances of real work performed.
Human judgment, context, and interpersonal skills behind good project management remain essential.”
Project management is more than just data and timelines
“Gantt charts, timelines, budgets, and scope are just some of the elements that make up project management. People are still needed to get things done on a project, albeit with new AI-based tools.
People management is the key here — 80% of the work is about mentoring, coaching, and people management, while only 20% is about the process, i.e., how we execute projects.
It is all about emotional intelligence, and the wow, we did it -feeling! It is about navigating chaos. It does so with a calm face and a contingency plan.
AI can help automate tasks, schedule events, and generate reports. But it can't replace the human touch that makes a project successful, especially when everything's on fire or everything's an emergency. AI-based tools can make a project manager more effective in their work than ever before!”
Human-centric project management can be augmented with AI
To summarize: AI is not replacing human Project Managers anytime soon. However, AI can help Project Managers in their work, for example, by automating repetitive tasks or supporting in reporting or analyzing results. A Project Manager who is adept at leveraging AI to its full potential can help projects reach their goals more efficiently!
In a nutshell:
Project management still requires a human touch
AI can help Project Managers streamline their work tasks
Irina, Project Manager
Irina is an experienced Project Manager with expertise in AI.
