Project Management in the Age of AI: Automate the Task, Not the Thinking

The rise of AI tools is transforming project work. Here’s how to harness automation without losing the human edge. 

The Hidden Cost of Every AI Shortcut

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is doing more of the work. Project dashboards now auto-generate progress reports. Scheduling tools predict bottlenecks before they happen. Even task assignments are being nudged by algorithms. On the surface, these upgrades seem like a gift to time-strapped teams.

But there is a growing unease. As more planning, prioritization, and problem-solving are handed over to AI, project managers are starting to ask: what’s being lost?

Right now, project professionals in Canada are navigating a real tension: embracing AI’s efficiency without eroding the human judgment and nuance that make complex projects succeed. With AI adoption in Canadian workplaces accelerating after the pandemic, particularly in hybrid environments where visibility is already strained, this boundary is becoming harder to define.

How AI Became the Project Manager’s Shadow

According to a 2024 Deloitte Canada report, a significant percentage of organizations say they have embedded AI in at least one business function. Project management is often an early target due to its data-heavy nature. Tools like ClickUp, Asana, and Microsoft Project are increasingly bundling AI features into their core offerings, from task suggestions to automated risk assessments.

And project professionals are taking notice: 58% believe AI will have a “major” or “transformative” impact on how project work gets done (Project Management Institute, 2023). That recognition adds weight to the quiet shift already underway.

These shifts promise efficiency. At the same time, they create a risk: that project teams may disengage from critical thinking when the tool appears to have already made the decisions.

AI can surface data, but it cannot replace conversations. It can prioritize based on past patterns, but it does not understand the messy, human context behind a misalignment or delay. When project decisions are made without real dialogue, trust and alignment suffer. This is especially true in cross-functional or multi-stakeholder environments where nuance matters.

What Air Canada Taught Us About Blind Trust in AI

This is what some Canadian leaders are calling automation creep: the subtle erosion of critical thinking and proactive leadership as more project functions are handed over to AI. It is not that these tools are harmful. But when project managers assume the tech knows best, they risk becoming passive stewards of their own projects.

A recent Canadian example comes from Air Canada. In 2022, the airline’s AI-powered chatbot provided incorrect information about bereavement fare policies. A customer relied on this guidance to book a flight, only to be denied the discount later. The case went to court, and the judge ruled that Air Canada was responsible for the misinformation provided by its AI. A cautionary lesson illustrating the risks of overreliance on automated tools without sufficient human oversight. While not a project management failure per se, it shows how AI, left unchecked, can erode trust, introduce risk, and create real-world consequences. Now just imagine if the error had been in building a skyscraper or upgrading a major IT system with sensitive information.

In the public sector, Indigenous communities and many non-profits, psychological safety, values alignment, and cultural context matters. It is in these environments that automation creep can quietly undermine project integrity and trust between parties.

Great Project Managers Keep the Human Touch

What sets strong project managers apart today is not their ability to automate. It is their ability to discern. They know where AI supports clarity and where it muddies it. They interrupt over-reliance and ask better questions. And they actively reinvest in the human skills that AI cannot mimic.

Across sectors, this means:

The Question Every Project Leader Should be Asking

The strongest project managers today are efficient, but more importantly, they’re intentional. They know where to trust the tools and where to trust themselves.

Are there areas where you are letting AI make decisions that you should be making yourself?

How PMC Can Help

If you or your team are navigating the tension between efficiency and insight, PMC offers training that helps project leaders sharpen the skills automation can’t replicate.

Both workshops are designed to build clarity, discernment, and leadership in today’s evolving project environments.