Artificial Intelligence (AI) benefits in project management are now well-established, delivering efficiency gains, improved forecasting accuracy, and streamlined documentation processes. Leaders in delivery must now address two significant dangers:
- Non-adoption: Some project managers avoid AI tools entirely, leading to missed opportunities and inefficiencies.
- Hidden adoption: Others use AI secretly, which can introduce organisational risks such as inconsistent quality control and compliance issues.
Transparency is the key to solving both of these problems, ensuring that AI is used effectively, ethically, and safely.
The Settled Case for AI in Project Management
While the benefits of AI in project management are certainly not yet fully realised, numerous studies highlight the substantial return on investment already available. 67% of project managers believe AI will significantly enhance project management efficiency, and 95% of project managers believe AI will moderately or significantly enhance project management profitability.
Any PMs who are not utilising the tools available are limiting their value and are likely to find themselves under pressure to deliver more quickly and accurately, regardless of their level of effort and traditional expertise.
Danger #1: The Cost of Non-Adoption
Avoiding AI in project management results in significant losses due to the manual execution of tasks that AI could easily streamline. For example, automating repetitive tasks like data entry, reporting, and scheduling can save time and reduce errors. Teams and organisations that shy away from AI tools face competitive disadvantages, as they operate slower and less efficiently. Moreover, a skills gap is emerging between project managers who embrace AI and those who resist it, with the latter falling behind in leveraging new technologies. This resistance often stems from fear, misunderstanding, and ethical concerns, such as worries about job displacement or data privacy.
If there are PMs in your team who are non-adopters of AI, you must challenge and support them through this transition to ensure that they are able to stay relevant and that your team is delivering value to your customers.
Danger #2: The Hidden AI User
Undisclosed AI adoption within organisations can lead to inconsistent quality control, compliance and governance challenges, lost learning opportunities across teams, and potential ethical breaches when AI contributions are not acknowledged. If a project manager uses AI to generate reports without disclosing it, the team may not appropriately verify the data or understand how to replicate the process. The PM may also use personal or insecure AI services, rather than tools approved for project use.
The Psychology Behind AI Reluctance and Secrecy
The reluctance to adopt AI and the secrecy surrounding its use often stem from a 'cheating' mindset and the fear of being perceived as less skilled or hardworking. This mindset is exacerbated by organisational cultures that inadvertently discourage innovation. For example, in environments where manual effort is valued over results, employees may feel pressure to hide their use of productivity tools. This paradoxically leads to a negative view of tools designed to increase productivity, as if using them is taking a shortcut rather than working smarter.
Addressing these psychological barriers is crucial for fostering a culture that embraces AI and leverages its full potential.
The Solution: Transparency
Open documentation of AI usage effectively mitigates both the risks of non-adoption and hidden adoption. Transparency offers numerous benefits to individuals, teams, and organisations by addressing concerns related to AI integration. For instance, documenting AI usage helps teams understand how AI tools are being utilised, facilitates the sharing of best practices, and ensures compliance with organisational policies. Real-world examples illustrate how transparency can shift the narrative from ‘cheating’ to ‘smart resourcing’. By openly documenting AI usage, teams can showcase their commitment to innovation and ethical practices.
Documenting AI usage in projects may include integration with existing project documentation processes and differentiating between types of AI usage (generating content, analysis, forecasting). For example, project managers can include a section in their reports that details how AI tools were utilised, the data input, and the outputs generated. This helps to ensure that AI usage is transparent and can be reviewed by others.
Integrating tools to automatically log AI interactions with project management software can eliminate the friction of manual documentation. This creates an audit trail that team members and auditors can review, demonstrating the value of AI and helping teams analyse usage patterns for improvement.
Creating a Culture that Rewards Transparent AI Usage
Leadership approaches that normalise and celebrate effective AI usage can reframe the narrative around productivity tools. For example, leaders can recognise and reward employees who use AI tools effectively, creating a positive feedback loop that encourages others to do the same. Recognition systems for innovative AI applications create virtuous cycles of improvement, as employees are motivated to find new and better ways to use AI.
From Transparency to Optimisation
Documenting AI usage patterns is crucial for developing best practices, identifying high-value AI applications, and creating organisational knowledge bases for effective AI prompts and workflows. By analysing how AI tools are utilised across various projects, organisations can pinpoint the most effective tools and establish guidelines for their optimal use. Continuous improvement through shared learning is essential, as teams can share their experiences and insights, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
Conclusion
Reframing AI from a potential threat to a transparent advantage is essential for modern project management. By embracing transparency, we can mitigate the risks associated with non-adoption and hidden usage, turning AI into a strategic asset.
If you’d like to chat with our delivery team about our experience with AI-powered project management, get in touch.
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