Mike FrenetteManager, IT PMO| Halifax Water (retired)Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Many generative AI products will take your input and apply it to what it finds in its data lake, then generate something that will save you time and effort. But will it be accurate? Will it be unbiased? Will it be the same as you would have written? How do you feel about that? Is it ethical? If so, how do you make it our own? Saving Changes...
Mike, interesting question. I don't think this is too much related to ethics as much as it is related to integrity. If the PM claims this is his piece, when it's not, then he is not being honest.
On another note, using GenAI can be helpful and save time but at the end of the day, the PM should verify the output and make sure it is sound and accurate.
For example, English is not my first language, so sometimes I use GenAI to see how I can write a certain piece in a better format and in many occasions, I didn't like what ChatGPT proposed as I did find it too sophisticated for the purpose of the message.
100 % Agree with this comment, I used to improve grammar or writing flow, however most of the times kill my humanity and writing style. Also 100% is about integrity! Saving Changes...
Using AI tools to generate a full report or result without any personal contribution is indeed unethical, as it doesn't reflect your own efforts or honesty. However, if you use AI tools as a reference to enhance your thinking process, I believe it is not unethical. It's beneficial to ask a generative AI tool about your ideas and get validating points or additional options to consider.
While I understand that relying too much on AI could potentially limit individual creativity and thinking, using AI to gain feedback and generate ideas, and then verifying and building on those ideas yourself, seems appropriate. This approach allows you to achieve better results efficiently.
In the past, when we encountered difficulties, we would consult colleagues or friends. Nowadays, we can use AI to learn more about specific topics. If used in this manner, I believe it's fine. Ultimately, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the work is up to the individual. Before AI, people sometimes took information from others without proper acknowledgment, which is unethical. Similarly, directly copying from AI is unethical, but using it as a reference is acceptable. Saving Changes...
Karen MingainDirector| HealthNET Systems ConsultingVero Beach, Fl, United States
Hi Mike, I think as long as you disclose the fact that you used Chat CPT to generate your document and take the time to also review and edit it accordingly - there isn't anything unethical about it. Saving Changes...
Jay DholakiaCo-Founder| SkillvergePune, Maharashtra, India
It's not a question of being ethical or not. it's about the content and its ownership. Which LLM is moderated by whom and that will process the right set of data to provide insight to the users?
imagine a situation where in the future we will be working across few of such products that will have their own LLM to process the queries and do not be surprised that we may end up having different varied responses. eventually, the project status reports will be processed by customers and you as a supplier where one may struggle to justify the AI response and interpretation !! to customer. Saving Changes...
I think as a beginner that using AI to give some structure to the documents according to the PMI can save you some time but is neccesarly to read and complement with your ideas and according to your needs because AI dont have the power to analyze problems as a human can do so i think at the end that human are in this continous evolution using technology to create advanced tools and with that tools create new techonology so AI in this moment has turned into a powerful tool that requieres an ethical use to create new forms to improve projects so if this tool save us time in a certain way its fine. Saving Changes...
Project Manager| AWR Development (BD) Ltd. Cox's Bazer , Bangladesh
Mike, While GenAI tools offer exciting possibilities for project managers, their ethical use hinges on our commitment to integrity. We must resist the allure of automation and instead use AI to enhance, not replace, our judgment and expertise. By embracing transparency, critically evaluating AI outputs, and prioritizing the PMI Code of Ethics, we can ensure that AI elevates our profession, rather than undermining the values that define it. Saving Changes...
Ming YeungAdjunct Professor & Acting COO/CPO/CRO (contract)| Blockchain Venture Capital Inc.Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hello Mike,
My short answer is no.
I would vet the generated response, paraphrase the references, curate the responses, and cite the requisite scholarly peer-reviewed sources where applicable and needed.
Thank you for sharing the timely post for deliberation.
Ming Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
It'd say using generative AI to create project materials is ethical, but also extremely foolish. AI-generated project management materials will likely be so generic as to be essentially useless, and at worst will contain many inaccuracies that will doom your project (and probably get you fired). Generative AI lacks the ability to be used as a substitute for actual PM knowledge. Templates, checklists, etc. are merely starting points to help you create the customized materials you need for your project. I suggest PMs invest less time learning how to create ChatGPT prompts and more time mastering project management basics - then they'd likely find they have little reason to use generative AI. Saving Changes...
As other contributors have brought up, using AI tools can make people work more efficiently but AI can also give you different points of view on the topic, and get you started faster. AI creates very good content but AI doesn't understand the context, environment, company, and people for example related to the project. The content created by AI should be always reviewed and modified based on the situation. This is the place where the project manager creates value.
Yes, it is ethical to use AI tools to create PM materials, as they enhance efficiency and provide diverse perspectives. However, AI lacks the contextual understanding of the specific project, environment, and stakeholders. Therefore, it is crucial for project managers to review and tailor the AI-generated content to ensure its relevance and accuracy. One impactful benefit to project managers is the significant time savings, allowing them to focus more on strategic decision-making and team management. Thanks & Regards Booma Pugazhenthi M.Sc., CPM, LEED AP, PMP Saving Changes...
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