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by Julie Bennett on October 4, 2024
The use of AI and self-driving features is one of the top trends in the project management field this year. Especially since ChatGPT blew up on the global scene, project managers have realized AI can help them better manage their time and their resources by expediting menial tasks.
However, AI is not a panacea for common problems throughout the course of managing a project.
In fact, project managers are in higher demand than ever, and AI serves as really just another tool, albeit a powerful one, to make their teams and their processes more efficient.
To that end, here you’ll discover the 5 AI tools you can leverage for your next project.
Specific use cases for AI tools in project management
Artificial intelligence, while powerful, has its limits, a big one being that it can only ever ‘learn’ from the data it’s been given. So if you don’t have as large a backlog, as with a startup, for example, AI tools will often be more limited with what they can do.
You also need to be careful when using AI to do anything involving information that’s rapidly changing. Tools like Gemini and ChatGPT are notorious for their time lag, making it often necessary to double-check their answers.
Nevertheless, AI can be leveraged in the following project management scenarios to boost efficiency with automation and self-learning:
Creating budgets
Perhaps the most valuable way to use AI to your benefit as a project manager is to use it to create project budgets. Simply plug in numbers and let the algorithms do their work. It’s even better if you have historical data from past projects to pull from, so it can continually learn what budgets are more likely to stay on track in regards to hours spend, roles and rates, etc.
Time tracking
Manual time tracking is a thing of the past, but with AI, even logging your time on a digital timesheet is unnecessary. AI time tracking can help standardize billability for your teams by making the process effortless. This means that time automatically gets tracked to the correct project or client, even at the task level. This is also really helpful for analytics as you’re able to see exactly where everyone’s time is going and how that time impacts profitability.
Any content
Project managers often find themselves having to write content in the form of proposals, meeting agendas, emails, and so much more. AI writing tools are among the most popular across all industries as they are able to pull information seamlessly from websites and articulate that information in the selected format. This saves project managers significant time that’s often not billable, and as they’re not being paid necessarily for their creative writing skills, it’s a really good fit.
Resource allocation
AI can easily learn based on different roles, rates, and availability who is best suited to work on a given project. Self-learning tools can identify patterns in resource utilization, helping prevent project managers from burning out employees. Predictive analysis will help you figure out where you’re headed as far as budget
Task management
When it comes to task management, AI can come in handy to pre-determine task duration and even dependencies, provided it has an adequate store of data from which to learn. Some tools can also learn when you continue to do the same tasks over and over and suggest automation to save you time.
Meetings
AI tools can schedule meetings for you, take notes, and even keep everyone on task, making them extremely useful for collaboration and welcomed by teams with open arms. No one has to take notes, nor worry about whether or not they’ll remember to add an action item in their task management tool. This can all be automated for you (for free).
Predictive analysis
Predictive analysis is one of the most powerful AI features in a PM’s toolbelt when it comes to monitoring project profitability. That’s because self-learning models are able to predict, based on past projects, what outcomes will most likely occur and when. By identifying possible negative trajectories, project managers can pivot long before any trouble begins to brew on the budget front.
Virtual Assistant
Finally, an AI virtual assistant can become a project manager’s best friend to help churn out emails, make appointments, and configure tasks for a project team. You can find these in the form of a chatbot or another LLM solution, as well as workflow automation that can be easily set up with project management software.
5 AI Tools to Leverage for Your Next Project
1. ClickUp AI
ClickUp AI is one of the best AI tools for project management that I’ve come across as far as affordability, ease of use, and what it can do. ClickUp AI is an add-on feature, part of the broader AI functionality of ClickUp Brain, available for all paid plans. All ClickUp users, even those with free plans, can try it before they purchase it for up to 100 users, but after that, ClickUp AI must be added by the workspace administrator.
What to use it for:
- Task management: ClickUp AI can create tasks in a flash based on your voice commands or natural language prompts. It can also automatically prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency and even assign tasks based on roles and availability.
- Time management: ClickUp AI can suggest optimal time estimates for tasks based on historical data.
- Drafting emails: Don’t waste your time on drafting emails yourself; ClickUp AI can do that for you by generating meeting summaries, for example, automatically and then sending them to your team.
- Project tracking and reporting: What ClickUp calls its AI Knowledge Manager, which acts like a personal assistant that can tell you anything you need to know about what’s going on with your tasks and resources. Like a ChatGPT or Gemini, you simply type in your questions. As far as reporting and tracking, the AI Project Manager can automatically spit these out for you.
Price: Add to any ClickUp plan for an additional $7 pu/pm
2. PSOhub Self-Driving Time Tracking & Predictive Analysis
PSOhub was one of the first project management tools ever to develop AI time tracking, which the platform refers to as self-driving time tracking. Also in the wheelhouse from day one are powerful predictive analytics that can pinpoint exactly when your project is in danger of going off the rails. PSOhub acts as an all-in-one project management tool, so everything from invoicing to contract management is included. Self-driving time tracking and predictive analysis are included in all plans.
What to use it for:
- Seamless time tracking: Self-driving time tracking by PSOhub learns from your Google or Outlook calendar and automatically tracks time for you. You can also use the GPS function to make sure you never miss a billable hour on site.
- Accurate forecasting: The more you use PSOhub, the smarter it gets. The predictive analysis feature can help you forecast more accurately and keep your cash flow where it should be. Use the powerful analytics to make better decisions on when and how you’ll invest your resources.
- Super-smart invoicing: PSOhub lets you automate your invoicing process to a tee. If you combine this with the AI time tracking, you essentially don’t ever have to manually enter time or invoices again. The system can take you straight from your calendar to cash in hand.
Price: Included with all PSOhub plans which start at $25 pu/pm
Learn more about PSOhub self-driving time tracking and predictive analysis
3. Butler Power-Up for Trello
The free Butler power-up for Trello is an easy way to automate workflows across your teams without breaking the bank. Butler is most often used to dial in on task management-related items by setting rules, and it’s incredibly easy to use. As part of its self-learning functionality, Butler recognizes repetitive actions and will recommend automation, a great nudge for users who are new to AI.
What to use it for:
- Task management: The Butler power-up, and really the entire Trello platform, revolves around your task boards. You can easily set the rules you need to create the automation you want. If your team uses Slack, Butler can go a step further by sending automated messages based on your triggers.
- Automated emails: To make sure your team, stakeholders, and even clients are in the know, Butler can send automated emails, potentially saving a lot of time, depending on how you’re communicating around the project.
Price: Free with all Trello plans
Learn more about the Butler Power-Up
4. Otter.ai
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Otter, the AI meeting assistant: it’s free, it’s insanely easy to use, and most teams are happy to get on board with its friendly UX. Otter acts like a bonafide secretary that transcribes and records your meetings as they happen, while also providing notes. Otter integrates with Google Meet, Zoom, and Teams, so you won’t have to switch from what you already use.
What to use it for:
- Virtual meeting assistant: Otter provides automated meeting recording, transcriptions, and notes for free. At the higher pricing tiers, you get more bandwidth as far as this data plus more analytical features.
- 30-second meeting summaries: This is my favorite feature because it’s so simple yet so genius. Otter can distill each hour of a meeting into a brief summary that tells you the gist of what happened, all in a bright, clean visual.
- Collaboration: Otter can automatically assign tasks based on the action items from your meetings. It also integrates with Slack, where you can automatically send content from your meetings to the relevant parties.
- Content: Otter now has a new feature included with all plans called Otter AI Chat, which is basically like a Gemini or ChatGPT. You can ask it questions and use it to spit out any content for your projects like emails, budget proposals, and more.
- Sales: Otter’s new OtterPilot for Sales integrates with your CRM (Salesforce or HubSpot) and will push meeting notes there automatically.
Price: Free; more functionality starting at $8.33 pu/pm
5. ChatGPT or Gemini
ChatGPT and Gemini are arguably the most accessible AI tools on this list. They’re household names that only require an internet connection and the ability to ask a question. These powerhouses are best known for their ability to quickly create content as well as to condense and explain large stores of information. This makes them valuable to virtually every profession, but in particular, project managers love ChatGPT and Gemini for creating budgets, project charters, schedules, and even Gantt charts.
What to use it for:
- Asking questions: Gone are the days of typing in keywords to search engines and sifting through what pops up. Simply ask ChatGPT or Gemini with your voice exactly what you want to know and how you want to see the information.
- Making a budget: Both tools can rapidly create accurate, comprehensive project budgets based on the data you provide.
- Content: Use either tool to churn out important emails and virtually every piece of content you might need throughout the course of the project, including quotes, proposals, status reports, and so on.
- Scheduling: Feed ChatGPT and Gemini your team’s availability and create a schedule in seconds. Detail your budget and goals as well as different rates, and they will make even better schedules that are more focused on profitability.
Price: Free, but you can pay more for more functionality with both.
Learn more about ChatGPT and Gemini
Why use AI in project management?
In a nutshell, AI offers a ton of practical use cases in project management, saving time and energy, which in turn, can help project managers boost efficiency and profitability.
Rather than typing out those emails yourself, let Gemini take them for a spin. Or get Otter to schedule and take notes on all your meetings. Low-cost options like these and the other AI tools on this list are great additions to any PM’s arsenal of tools for success.
