Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Interesting question. I might be wrong but I also do not think AI can replace anything that relates to soft skills, managing the people side as you put it. Also, somewhat related to soft skills, facilitation. Strategy? That is probably debatable because strategy is driven by external factors such as market, economy, politics, competition, etc. If you can source these drivers, which you can, I'm sure you could come up with a fairly good strategy using an algorithm. Saving Changes...
I'd agree Kevin that the soft skills will be the biggest challenge for AI in scenarios such as:
Inspiring a team member - can AI know how to provide Purpose, Autonomy & Mastery?
Building a team - can AI take a group of individuals and make them into a high-performing team?
Balancing the needs and wants of misaligned stakeholders - can AI find the right way to get the optimum level of engagement?
I believe AI is just in its infancy, and doubt that by 2025 80% of PM duties will be completed by AI, especially in small to medium sized organizations. It's interesting, because I believe that AI will be the biggest disruptor in society we have seen since the industrial revolution. We cannot yet phantom the consequences, as there is talk about providing "rights" to AI "beings". Companies that understand and prepare to take advantage of the coming AI revolution will be poised to reign, while those that do not will perish. Saving Changes...
Gordon AlexanderSenior Principal - Global Programme Director| IndepndentChelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom
If you think about this in the longer term, what other functions will be done by AI, what "team members" will be left to be managed and to what extent?
1) BA's - to what extent can their role be automated
2) Architecture - will systems architecture be AI driven based on the platform and the BA inputs?
3) Testing - a lot of this has already been automated
Different Industries will have varying levels of automation and these are just from the IT side. In other words I don't think you an look at this purely from the PM perspective. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Any thing that involves dealing with human personalities can't be handled by an AI - at least not at present. An AI isn't going to get quarreling stakeholders to agree, for example. There are just too many nuances involved with personal interaction for an AI to manage them successfully. Saving Changes...
The extensive implementation of AI will change procedures and human behavior around new processes. For example, the coffee/beverage dispensing machines have changed how drinks are accessed in office and the revised setup has mostly replaced human component around coffee.
Presently, the management soft skills are needed to ‘smooth’ effects caused by imperfection of workers & stakeholders. The human soft skills for the management roles could be one of last skills to be replaced by AI. Not because it’s hard to master …the reason will be soft skills may not be that relevant when procedures are revised/automated to the maximum extent. Saving Changes...
The answer would be different in near term vs long term. I would agree that the last would likely be strategy and soft skills. Well, maybe soft skills won't be all that useful if most other duties are performed by robots.
What would be the first duties AI will replace? What is the foreseeable sequence of AI integration? Saving Changes...
elisabete monteiroManager Management and Consulting| AccentureNew York, Ny, United States
I would say that AÍ is a great help for PM since it can provide more accurate and smart tools in general, which can enhance the performance of PM, however regarding to soft skills it cannot do much.
Although AÍ as been advancing quickly lately there is still a lot to be developed in terms of human interaction. Saving Changes...
Wai Hong KhowConsultant| 7th HandSingapore, Singapore
In my opinion, the only matter of fact that AI cannot replicate now or in future is the necessity to have a Project. And if I am to be honest and blunt, having lots of human interactions, discussions and interfaces do not necessarily contribute to the success of the project. In some cases, it might be better off to let AI choose the resources, the time to execute things and have a calculated % of success. Saving Changes...
Alvine Pete MfouaponProject Eng. Specialist | Lycopodium minerals Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
What are the specifics soft skills that we are talking about! if we can name them, break them down into specific items, AI could be able to propose something.
Discussion like this is of great help in giving direction to AI researchers. As we love being ahead of innovations researchers will surely find volunteers to test the new findings. Saving Changes...
