Using AI in Project Management: Tools, Benefits, and Future Trends

According to Zippia, over 426,299 people work as project managers in the United States in various industries, including construction, finance, health care, manufacturing, retail, and telecommunications[1]. As with other professionals, project managers have begun to feel the impact of artificial intelligence in their jobs. However, to evolve with the times and remain successful in a project manager role, it's important to embrace this technology and learn how to use it. 

Find out more about AI for project managers, including what you can do with AI tools right now and how using AI in project management might differ in the future.

What you can do with AI project management tools

As a job role and a process, project management involves the planning, execution, and oversight of projects from conception to completion, and the integration of AI tools helps along the way. These high-tech tools can ensure your projects run more smoothly, help keep them within time and budget constraints, and assist with problem-solving or decision-making. Explore a few ways you can use AI tools to improve your project management process. 

Task automation

Automation refers to using technology to complete tasks with minimal or no human interaction. AI-powered project assistants can automate some of your mundane or repetitive project management tasks, allowing you to spend time on more interesting and essential work. Types of project management tasks that AI can complete include:

• Allocating project resources

• Providing project status updates

• Scheduling tasks and monitoring project schedules

By completing some of your tasks for you, AI can help:

• Make project management more productive

• Improve accuracy and efficiency on a project

• Create a more satisfying project management experience

Predictive analytics

Using AI to analyze past project data can help you make more accurate predictions about various elements of your current project. Predictive tasks AI can accomplish include:

• Estimating the project budget by analyzing current prices and past project costs

• Identification of project risks by analyzing past project data and spotting trends in areas like materials delay, materials shortage, and project safety 

• Predicting the results of varying project scenarios, like changes in labor and resource expenses 

Enhanced collaboration and communication

By engaging in technical problem-solving, research, and predictive analytics, AI becomes an integral part of your project team, allowing human members to work on project strategy and other vital tasks. AI also provides accurate data for effective project communication and meeting summaries to keep team members on the same page. AI project management tools also boost collaboration and communication by:

• Notifying team members and stakeholders immediately about important project updates

• Providing a centralized workspace for data storage, project communication, and sharing

• Translating project communications into different languages, if needed

More efficient workflow 

AI tools help improve project workflow by automating planning and scheduling. AI can create daily prioritized task sheets, personalized worker schedules, timelines, and other project aids to keep team members productive and on task. 

Reduction in scope creep

Scope creep refers to a situation where a project expands without consideration of predetermined boundaries like the budget, timeline, and available resources. AI can help reduce or eliminate scope creep by:

• Evaluating the effects of potential changes before they occur to help project managers make clear-eyed decisions

• Automating workflows to ensure better control of scope creep by sending proposed changes through the proper channels for review, approval, and documentation

Which AI tool is best for project management? 

No single AI project management tool offers more benefits than others. The best option for your project depends on your needs. For instance, if you have a large project team, you might especially appreciate workflow tools. If you regularly manage big-budget projects, you will likely benefit from predictive analytics tools.

Does AI for project managers mean job replacement?

According to a Gallup poll, about 22 percent of all workers worry that technology will replace their jobs [2]. While AI will take charge of some project manager tasks, it will likely create shifts in the role rather than replace it altogether. AI will handle repetitive and administrative tasks, leaving project managers to focus on more elevated work like people management, problem-solving, and communicating with company stakeholders. Becoming proficient in using AI tools can complement your career as a project manager, offering opportunities for greater success due to increased efficiency and productivity.

Using AI in project management in the future

Given the rapid implementation of AI in all facets of life, it will likely continue to impact project management significantly. Some experts have predicted that AI will handle the bulk of the current project management workload within the next few years, but only time will tell. Various ways that AI might continue to impact project management include:

• Enhanced ability in predictive analytics, which will help remove bias and improve decision-making

• Better project support, such as project tracking, data gathering, selection of project methodology, scheduling, and compliance monitoring

• More human-like virtual assistants that will work faster and more efficiently

• Advanced testing systems that are more effective, efficient, and durable

• Productive and cooperative project management teams are made up of humans and robots.

Build a good foundation in artificial intelligence on Coursera

As a project manager, you can become even more successful in your job role by learning to use AI tools for automating tasks, making predictions, improving workflows, and more. Incorporating these tools into project management starts with building a good foundation in artificial intelligence.

To establish a solid knowledge base in AI, consider taking the AI Foundations for Everyone Specialization offered by the professionals at IBM on Coursera. Some of the topics covered in this four-course series include cloud computing, deep learning, machine learning, computer programming, and computer vision. This well-reviewed beginner-level course allows you to build job-ready AI skills at your own pace from anywhere with a good internet connection.