News article: “Artificial Intelligence to take over 80% of Project Manager work. Chatbots will take over doing data collection, project tracking and reporting.” Source: Mega-consultant Gartner.
Fascinating! Let’s peek ahead at what the future may bring to the Project Management field. . . <wavy lines showing we’re entering a dream state>
The AI Future of Project Data Collection
Nathan, answering his mobile: “Nathan here.”
ProjectBot: “This is ProjectBot. I am calling for data.”
Nathan: “Damn robocall.” <click>
Nathan, answering his mobile again: “Nathan here.”
ProjectBot, using different AI voice: “This is Stewart in Auditing. I need you to send the project data immediately.”
Nathan: “Is this that robot again?”
ProjectBot: “No. This is Stew. In Auditing.”
Nathan:” I don’t like talking to machines. Stew. In Auditing.”
ProjetBot: “Ha. Ha. Me either. I am a human by the way.”
Nathan: <click>
The AI Future in Project Tracking:
ProjectBot: “Shelly, what is the status of your task?”
Shelly: “It’s going pretty well.”
ProjectBot: “Can you quantify that for me please?”
Shelly: “We’re about half done.”
ProjectBot: “That’s what you reported last week, Shelly.”
Shelly: “I said ‘about.’ This isn’t science.”
ProjectBot: <chirps like R2D2>
Shelly: “There’s no reason to be rude! Put me down for 60% done, then.”
ProjectBot: “Are you having any problems you care to report?”
Shelly: “Other than talking to a ^%$*^$ robot, no.”
The AI Future in Project Reporting
Boss, calling Project Status Hotline
ProjectBot: “Welcome to the Project Status Hotline”
Boss: “Yes, I’d like to hear. . .”
ProjectBot: “Please provide your name, phone number and reason for calling”
Boss: “Callahan, you have the phone number and I’m looking for. . . “
ProjectBot: “Be aware that this call may be recorded for quality purposes.”
Boss: “Are you done yet?”
ProjectBot: “And that any information you provide can and will be used against you in an Executive Steering Meeting.”
Boss: “Just tell me the status of Project Brainiac”
ProjectBot: “The status of Project Brainiac is Green”
Boss: “That’s it? Just ‘Green’”
ProjectBot: “More accurately, it’s sort of Chartreuse. Between Chartreuse and Pear.”
Boss: “Anything else? Like did we get any work done last week?”
ProjectBot: “Shelly said she got 10% done on her task, but she was lying.”
Boss: “Do you have anything valuable for me today?”
ProjectBot: “Confucius say, ‘Garbage in, Garbage out.’ Automate that.”
