AI for project management: what does it actually mean?
There has been much mention of artificial intelligence (AI) in project management circles, but few have defined it and what it can do for the profession. Let me try to throw some light on the subject.
AI software programs dive deep into a company’s systems, networks and everything attached to them in order to gather information and to make decisions regarding that information. AI systems can generate responses based on large datasets such as the entire internet. When implemented correctly, AI could take away much of the mundane decision-making from busy project managers and save enormous time (and therefore cost) from a project’s schedule.
However, for AI programs to function properly, there needs to be good knowledge management in place, something that many companies do not have or have implemented poorly.
Knowledge management captures the experience of projects and enables future projects to prevent the mistakes of the past, speeding up their establishment and management. The difference between knowledge management and AI is that an AI program makes decisions based on the information it gathers. This is the ‘intelligence’ bit. It’s artificial because at a basic level there is no human intervention. Knowledge management programs merely feed back data already inputted.
Having a program make decisions could be problematic, so rules of operation need to be compiled around the parameters of an AI program. A project manager does not have to accept automatically the decisions that an AI program makes, of course. Over time, an AI program can learn aspects of similar projects, making its decisions more palatable for the project manager. The project manager is always in control, however.
Let’s look at an example
Imagine one of your projects is required to implement publicity for a global user community around particular deliverables. Certain segments of the public are to be targeted in 20 countries and you want to publicise your project’s deliverables in no more than five paragraphs of text. Initially you don’t need to be too specific. More detail and boundaries can be added later. Your AI program will speedily deliver an initial solution based on various publicity platforms relevant to the geography and show the text in the target languages. Even at a preliminary level, there can be surprises. For example, platforms that you may not have considered or known about may be suggested. The power of AI is its deep dive and speed of delivery.
To make use of AI, a company must implement it carefully. If you thought customer relationship management (CRM) was a challenge to set up, then AI is going to be several degrees more difficult. Overlay voice applications and the complications augment. The effort is probably worth undertaking though, even if a company needs to get its house in order before implementing.
My car has a primitive form of AI called ‘reinforcement learning’. While I’m driving it will suddenly say something like: “You have been driving for over an hour, John, would you like to take a break? Here are some suggested locations for stopping.” As a trait of AI is to learn from experience, my car knows that I do not like to stop at motorway service stations, so the list of locations offered will be in nearby villages. My car is learning my driving habits and tuning the accuracy of its output to my desired intention. I’m still in control. I do not have to accept any suggestions.
Currently, my car does not know why I might refuse suggestions, though. I could, for example, be in a hurry to get to a meeting and not want to stop. Such additional intelligence is feasible, of course. Is it desirable? It will be interesting to see how much further car software will develop.
I hope this short article will help explain the importance of AI to your projects. At the moment, AI is like the early iterations of the internet. There is much further to go.
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John Bartlett HonFAPM is a project manager and author. He has written books on risk management, programme management and quality management.
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Hi John, your exploration of AI's potential in project management very is insightful. While AI offers promising benefits, such as automating mundane tasks and improving decision-making, it's essential to acknowledge the challenges and potential drawbacks. As you rightly points out, successful AI implementation requires robust knowledge management and careful consideration of ethical implications. It's crucial to approach AI as a tool to augment human capabilities rather than replace them entirely. By understanding AI's limitations and leveraging its strengths, project managers can position themselves for greater success in the evolving landscape of project management. Thank you. Ade