AI Could Sabotage Your Projects Before They Even Start

A digital representation of the human mind, interconnected with AI circuitry, symbolizes the integration of artificial intelligence and human cognition.

Artificial Generative Intelligence (AGI) or AI as it is commonly referred to is a tool!  Let me repeat myself, “Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Claude, Perplexity, Ghat GPT or Gemini are tools.”  

The various  softwares, particularly the project management softwares and platforms that we use, such as Jira, Wrike, Microsoft Planner, Asana, Monday.com and many others, have built in AI features and capabilities, are all tools! 

With the increasing number of AI tools on the market, it fuels the debate that AI will replace project management roles. I call that blanket statement FALSE!

If there is a wide enough skill and knowledge gap in understanding of how to leverage AI tools in project management work, project professionals will be replaced. The bigger question is who or what will replace project management roles?

• A project manager who knows how to leverage AI as a tool and not outsource AI as the project lead.

• A project manager who steps into projects as a strategic thinker and thought-partner.

• A project manager who holds high standards for their leadership skills.

• A project manager who has emotional intelligence and demonstrates self-awareness 

AI Is Failing Project Managers

Outsourcing strategic thinking, thought -partnership, relationship building and nurturing and  leadership skills to AI or AI agents will cause projects and project managers to fail.

AI agents are software systems that autonomously carry out tasks toward a specific goal. In the case of project management, AI agents, through prompting and word pattern recognition, can autonomously carry out project tasks toward a project goal. 

Simply put, AI and AI agents require the project manager to effectively input a prompt into the LLM or software in order for the AI to adequately deliver an output that addresses the project task and need.

The quality of the output from AI, lies squarely in the fingers and creative mind of the project manager. To that end, the quality of the output from AI, has to be fact checked by the project professional, as it is widely known that AI hallucinates. 

AI hallucinations occur when the LLMs or AI algorithm perceives a word pattern recognition ( input) that produces outputs that are false or nonexistent or not based on training data.

Therefore, human intelligence and capability cannot be outsourced to AI tools.

Project managers must have clarity, structure and be knowledgeable about their project, the stakeholder expectations, the project phases and other project nuances that only a human project manager can experience and make note of.

Project managers who lack clarity about the fundamental details and nuances of their projects will fail. I strongly encourage all project managers from all experience levels to build clarity about your projects early on and not outsource your strategic thinking, strategic planning and leadership skills to an AI tool.

Strategic Thinking and AI Tools

Effective project managers show up as strategic thinkers, planners and thought-partners on projects. They are willing to research and study their project stakeholders and ask quality questions about the project.  

A varied team of colleagues works together in a brainstorming session, exchanging ideas and strategies around a wooden table covered with papers.

Asking quality questions is a powerful and strategic approach at creatively  challenging assumptions about problems or proposed solutions and it elicits useful and informative information about the project. 

A project manager with a healthy dose of self-awareness and leadership skills will not miss the opportunity for stakeholder engagement. Stakeholder engament can not be outsourced to an AI tool.

Here are three questions I ask clients to build my clarity about their project idea:

1. What is the problem we are trying to solve?- I want to know if my client understands and knows what they want solved. There is no right or wrong answer, I am just building my understanding of what my client is thinking.

2. If this problem is not solved, what continues to happen? I am trying to understand the challenges or pain points that will persist if the appropriate solution is not found and for how long this challenge or pain point will exist.

3. Who needs to be involved in this project? I want a picture painted of who the different stakeholders are for this project. Who is impacted? Who has a stake in the project? Who is involved in decision-making?

4. What does success look like? I want to know what my client’s expectations are and what will satisfy them as ‘done’. What will make them happy or proud at the end?

These four questions build clarity and structure around the project idea and the potential problem solving approach.

AI can not replace the human-centered response to what the problem is, why the problem exists and what it means to have a proposed solution. There is no substitute, particularly, no technological substitute that can build the level of clarity first needed on projects.

The Project Launchpad

Starting April 22nd 2026, I am hosting my 5-week  strategic course, The Project Launchpad: The DEFINE Sprint. In this 5-week training we don’t just talk about project management, we work through one of your real projects together, before execution begins. This is the work of project leadership and it starts with clarity!

I am supporting a small group of five (5) project leads who are about to step into something new: a project, an initiative, an idea that the world needs. 

This course is great for a project professional whether you are in a corporate or non-corporate work environment. 

• If you are a small business owner and you are a team of 1 or a small team ( less than 5) this course will be great for you.

  
  

• If you are a non-profit professional and want to improve your project ideation and design process; this course is for you too.

  
  

• If you are curious about what is project management and want to learn more about project initiating and ideation; this course is great for you. (Also grab a copy of my ebook Pivoting To Project Management)

Inside The DEFINE Sprint, I’ve simplified what is often overcomplicated. There is no technical project management terminology and jargon used. The small group size allows for concentrated,  interactive and hands-on work together. 

We focus on four things:

- Question the problem — so you solve the root cause, not the surface issue

- Vet the solution — so you’re not building on the wrong foundation

- Map the network — so the right people are involved from the start

- Anchor success — so “done” is SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound)

If you’ve been feeling like you’re managing tasks instead of leading with clarity and strategy, this was built for you.

Over 5 Wednesdays (April 22nd-May 20th), we meet for 90minutes each session from 10am-11:30am. You will walk away with:

• A clear, structured project scope document you created yourself

• A stronger ability to think, the art of asking quality questions, and lead at the start of any project

• A deeper understanding of how to bring clarity before execution

I am very excited by the transformation and learning experience this 5-week training delivers! The investment for this 5-week training is $497. Register today and secure your spot.