Artificial Intelligence and Project Management
From the The Professional Project Manager Blog
by Sean Whitaker
This series of articles examines, and offers insights and opinions, on all aspects of the profession of project management. I welcome your comments, feedback, support or dissent. I am passionate about the profession of project management and if, through our discussion, we can add value to the profession and practitioners then I am happy.
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A recent Gartner reports* state that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will assume 80% of all project management tasks by 2030.
I was giving this some thought and the thing that stood out for me is that those tasks that can be automated should be automated, and using it will assist the role of the project manager immensely when used appropriately.
However, I am always reminded that project management is not just about tools and techniques but about people. I do not believe AI will provide the best solution for managing people and that activity will always need a project manager with superior leadership, communication and team development skills. This is particularly important on complex projects. AI can free up project managers from the more mundane technical tasks and allow them to focus on, and develop, their people skills and their own personal development.
I think AI should threaten those project managers who do not have good 'people skills' as it is imaginable that AI could successfully manage low complexity and smaller projects completely. I can definitely see small projects that do not require much team building, have few stakeholder, or do not require leadership being completely lead by a task oriented AI.
So, in summary I believe AI is a great tool and can help in many ways but for large, complex and people centered projects it should best be used as an ancillary tool to a well-qualified and experienced project manager. What are you thoughts?
*Link to the report here https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-03-20-gartner-says-80-percent-of-today-s-project-management
Posted on: May 25, 2019 11:26 AM |
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Comments (11)
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George Freeman
Thought Leader | Author | Architect|
Florida, United States
Great post. Essentially Gartner is stating that 80% of what a PM does is strictly, Data Collection, Tracking, and Reporting . This shows how out-of-touch Gartner is as it relates to understanding the strategic role of PMs. Are there PMs who only play this role? Yes, there are some, but it is a massive mischaracterization of our profession.
Sean, I totally agree with you. We have AI supporting us right now, but only supporting and not replacing.
And George, I think when you are working with Data Collection, Tracking, and Reporting (as the people at Gartner do), you tend to see everyone else's work through the same lens.
Rami Kaibni
Community Champion
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten Associates
New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Good point of view Sean, I agree with you.
Good Point Noted. Thanks.
Yes. AI may the big challenge for PMs.
Al Taylor
I.T. Contractor| Independent
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
well....I think (reluctantly) the report is probably right....and this is coming from a guy who thought the internet was a fad
Abhishek Sharma
Vice President| Change Healthcare
Austin, Tx, United States
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will assume 80% of all project management tasks by 2030.. that is cool
Nihal Candemir
IT Project Manager | Scrum Master | Consultant| Coca Cola
Istanbul, Kadikoy, Türkiye
Thanks for sharing, that's very useful ..!
Thank you for this thought. I don't think that AI could accomplish all the tasks related to PMI talent triangle such leadership ( manage team, resolve conflicts, communicate with the stakeholders, etc.)
Best regards
"Artificial Intelligence (AI) will assume 80% of all project management tasks by 2030." - Undoubtedly written by the same kind of people that think it's a good idea to override trained pilots to make the noses of planes go down.
"AI" is only as good as the people who design the parameters for it to work, and then, still limited to those parameters. Anyone who has ever worked around IT project management can tell you there are infinite things that can/do go wrong with that process. More likely, winter is coming:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_winter
Gartner Says 80 Percent of Today’s Project Management Tasks Will Be Eliminated by 2030 as Artificial Intelligence Takes Over.
By 2030, 80 percent of the work of today’s project management (PM) discipline will be eliminated as artificial intelligence (AI) takes on traditional PM functions such as data collection, tracking and reporting, according to Gartner, Inc.
“AI is going to revolutionize how program and portfolio management (PPM) leaders leverage technology to support their business goals,” said Daniel Stang, research vice president at Gartner. “Right now, the tools available to them do not meet the requirements of digital business.”
AI is revolutionizing project management by enhancing planning, execution, monitoring, and decision-making processes. Organizations that embrace AI in project management can improve efficiency, reduce risks, and deliver projects more successfully. However, it is essential to approach AI implementation thoughtfully, considering data quality, change management, privacy, and ethical considerations to reap the full benefits of this transformative technology.
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