A survey from has found that 83 per cent of project managers in Ireland agree that the necessary processes are not currently in place to govern the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the sector.
The survery, by the Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute, found that despite this, more than four in five, at 81 per cent, are using, or are planning to use, the technology.
Conducted by the Ireland Chapter of PMI, the survey of 122 project managers was carried out to mark the publication of its new report sponsored by Auxilion, which examines the relationship between project management, the emerging technology, and its expected impact.
In terms of the impact of AI, the research found that 69 per cent of project managers think it will have a transformative effect on the industry. In fact, as a result of AI, project managers estimate both a cost saving and improvement to project success rates of 13 per cent.
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The outstanding benefit of the technology was found to be automation, at 78 per cent, with the effective use of resources (62 per cent) and more effective metrics (41 per cent) completing the top three. Echoing this, of project managers who have already introduced AI, automation was the most common – with 53 per cent having implemented it.
However, while the attitude around the future of AI and project management is positive, there appears to be some challenges.
The top three barriers preventing project managers from working with the technology were a lack of education which 74 per cent cited, insufficient trust (72 per cent), and a shortage of skills (69 per cent). This may explain why 81 per cent of respondents have, or are planning to, undertake training or education to effectively use AI.
As for what project managers see as the negatives around AI usage, errors made by the technology (68 per cent) was most cited, followed by data, privacy, and security concerns (65 per cent). Highlighting the prevailing sentiment, a lack of governance (63 per cent) was the third most-mentioned negative.
Peter Glynne, President of the Ireland Chapter of PMI, said: “As is the case with all emerging technologies, the individuals and businesses who stand to benefit the most from AI are those who adapt, implement and learn through usage. After all, it’s not a case of if AI will be used in project management – it is already here – but how it will be used and, more importantly, how it is governed to drive success in the sector.
“As highlighted in our survey and discussed in our report, AI is certainly going to have a transformative effect on the profession, with the automation of tasks provided by the technology set to lead to great improvements in innovation and efficiency.
"Whilst an exciting time in project management, with AI feeling like a new frontier, the foundations for its deployment – including training and governance – will be crucial for capitalising on and maximising its potential.”
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Colina Moran, Director of Project Management and Governance, Auxilion, added: “When it comes to emerging technologies like AI, first-mover advantage is often a real differentiator.
"However, this research and the report show that organisations and project managers need to ensure that they have the processes in place to leverage such solutions effectively and securely. That means having governance controls in place, upskilling people and, in many cases, working with experienced partners.
“Using AI can enable more efficient, cost-effective, and successful digital transformation. It has the power to take projects and businesses to the next level. But while this technology is certainly having an enormous impact on the project management sector, only those organisations that get their approach right will get ahead of the curve.”
