Robot wars

Will artificial intelligence eventually replace the project manager?

For any project managers who think that artificial intelligence (AI) belongs firmly in the future, it’s worth taking a moment to remember that the technology has its roots squarely in the past – 60 years in the past, to be precise.

Six decades ago, delegates gathered for a conference entitled the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence. The 1956 event, which is now considered a seminal moment, was a conference where people could hear about the exciting new world of AI. It is even said, among IT historians, that this conference marked the first ever use of the term ‘AI’ in the academic sense.

Project management experts started writing about the applications of AI in their field in the 1980s, when the Project Management Institute started publishing articles such as William Hosley’s academic paper, ‘The Application of Artificial Intelligence Software to Project Management’.

Today, there are many practical applications for AI, but most people cannot imagine a real-world example that does not end with a group of crazy, megalomaniac robots taking over the planet and wiping out humanity. However, as with many scientific advances, the reality is a lot simpler, more modest and, dare we say, down to earth.

Take Facebook’s recent announcement that it will launch a range of chatbots. The company claims this will help businesses to deliver things such as automated customer support and online shopping guidance.

At its most basic, a chatbot is a piece of software that you can talk to, and it is meant to be able to respond to your voice and complete a basic request. Chatbots, such as those launched by Facebook, have the potential to replace a lot of the apps that you probably have on your smartphone or tablet, which is why a lot of techie people are so excited about the announcement.

Instead of opening a weather app on your phone to check the temperature for the rest of the day, you would ask a chatbot on your device and it would answer you. The cleverest ones might be able to link your request for a weather update with travel plans in your phone’s diary and say, ‘Don’t worry, it is raining today, but it’s only a fortnight until your holiday, and it’s lovely and sunny in Cornwall right now!’

Managing projects

The idea of AI running projects might be a step too far for some people – and a little unnerving – but the technology to make it happen is already in existence. It is also clear that AI is on the verge of becoming a mainstream technology in the project management arena too.

Further into the future, the AI that underpins chatbots could offer more support to businesses and help to deliver a new wave of truly intelligent project management processes that learn, adapt and automate work to allow project managers to focus on the bigger picture.

Project management is, in itself, the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities. Today’s project managers face a host of challenges, from time and cost estimations to project scheduling with multi-level constraints and much more.

What if AI could offer project managers support in automating planning and scheduling? AI programmes could help realise strategies and make project managers execute their projects more successfully.

It may seem like the stuff of science fiction, but AI is set to become a credible technology that could be as commonplace in business as today’s Excel or workflow software. It is worth getting to know more about AI and becoming the ‘company expert’ before the revolution really begins.

Intelligent technologies that simulate human intelligence could change the way that project managers work. Advances in technology have the potential to replace certain types of jobs. How we adapt to these changes will determine the new roles for project managers in the workplace.

AI is not all about robots and science fiction. It encompasses the ability to quickly digest and interpret large amounts of big data. Companies that have traditionally used human intelligence to interpret trends and requirements in projects will turn to AI to pinpoint opportunities to improve returns.

Project management is, of course, a blend of art and science, so, rather than being a threat to jobs, I see AI as an opportunity to remove drudgery and upskill the workforce. But AI can no doubt help in areas such as procurement, where a program could produce bids for various aspects of a project and conduct basic evaluations.

The same applies to project evaluation: templates and status reporting can be taken over by AI programs. With the right systems in place, there could be a lot of value added in automating project reporting functions. However, many organisations are not ready to delegate decision making to an AI program that is based on an algorithm. Cognitive computing, such as big-data analysis, is more likely to be adapted in the foreseeable future.

Intelligent systems

In a recent survey by Ipswitch on the impact of intelligent systems and the rise of intelligent machines, 92 per cent of respondents indicated that the use of intelligent systems is important to their ability to compete effectively in their market.

Project management is no different, with rules-based process automation and workflow engines, API development to facilitate integration and automation, and advanced big-data analytics platforms topping the list of AI technologies already adopted by the industry.

Computers are, and always will be, only as good as the information that humans put into them. While AI and automation can be used to optimise certain project management functions – such as reporting, timeline generation or document creation – the majority of project management roles will continue to need human review and editing.

It seems certain that technology with AI at its core will start making an appearance in many more businesses over the next five years.

The banking, finance and insurance sectors will be some of the first to adopt the technology as part of their IT teams and project management processes. The retail sector – especially those retailers with an online presence – will not be far behind.

For those in charge of project management, now is the time to begin learning about AI, staying on top of new discoveries and advances. These technologies will open up more time for project management teams to work proactively, ensuring that mission-critical projects are run efficiently and deadlines are met.

 

Michael Hack is senior vice president of EMEA operations at Ipswich.