AI Project Development – How Project Managers Should Prepare

As a project manager, you've probably engaged in a number of IT projects throughout your career, spanning complex monolithic structures to SaaS web apps. However, with the advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning, new projects with different requirements and problems are coming onto the horizon at a rapid speed. With the rise of these technologies, it is becoming less of a "nice to have" and instead essential for technical project managers to have a healthy relationship with these concepts. According to Gartner, by 2020, AI will generate 2.3 million jobs, exceeding the 1.8 million that it will remove--generating $2.9 trillion in business value by 2021. Google's CEO goes so far as to say that "AI is one of the most important things humanity is working on. It is more profound than […] electricity or fire." With applications of artificial intelligence already disrupting industries ranging from finance to healthcare, technical PMs who can grasp this opportunity must understand how AI project management is distinct and how they can best prepare for the changing landscape. Before going deeper, it's important to have a solid understanding of what AI really is. With many different terms often used interchangeably, let's dive into the most common definitions first.