AI Becomes Increasingly Embedded in Project Delivery Across Key Industries, New APM Research Reveals

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Project management professionals are rapidly embedding artificial intelligence (AI) into their day-to-day work, transforming how projects are planned, delivered and managed, according to new research from the Association for Project Management (APM), conducted in partnership with Censuswide.

The survey of 1,000 project professionals in the UK highlights widespread adoption of AI tools across sectors including financial services, technology, construction, engineering and transport and logistics - with applications ranging from administrative automation to advanced decision support and risk forecasting.

AI moving from experimentation to integration into workflow

Findings from the research show that over a quarter (27%) of project professionals across industry sectors say that AI is fully embedded into their workflows and is used to support a wide range of activities including:

• Predicting project outcomes and improving forecasting accuracy 25%
• Supporting decision support through data-driven insights 24%
• Administrative support (summarising documents, etc) 23%
• Enhancing risk forecasting and mitigation strategies 22%
• Improving reporting and dashboard creation 22%
• Assisting with resource allocation 21%
• Research purposes 21%

This breadth of use signals a clear shift: AI is evolving from a productivity tool into a strategic capability underpinning project delivery.

Sector-specific AI adoption

The research also reveals distinct patterns in how AI is being applied across industries:

28% of project professionals working in construction say AI is fully embedded into their project workflows, followed by 25% of project professionals working in engineering, 24% working in financial Services and 23% of project professionals working in technology projects.

These variations underline how AI adoption is being shaped by sector-specific challenges and opportunities, while still delivering universal benefits in efficiency and insight.

Confidence in AI is high - but skills gaps remain

A key finding from the research is the high level of confidence project professionals have in using AI. Overall, 92% of respondents report feeling confident that their current skill set is aligned with the changing demands of an AI-enabled workplace, including nearly half (45%) who describe themselves as “very confident”.

However, this confidence sits alongside an increasing recognition that more advanced skills are needed to fully realise AI’s potential. When asked which skills are becoming the most critical for project managers to succeed for the future, the top-ranking responses were:

• Ethical decision-making and professional judgement 33%
• Data literacy and AI-enabled decision-making 33%
• Leadership in remote and hybrid environments 33%
• Stakeholder engagement and relationship management 32%
• Technical project management tools and methods 30%

This highlights a growing need for structured learning to help project professionals move from basic use of AI tools to more sophisticated and responsible application.

Ethical considerations come into sharper focus

As AI becomes more embedded in project environments, ethical considerations are also rising up the agenda. Project professionals pointed to concerns around transparency, lack of accountability, and the reliability of AI-generated outputs.

In particular, issues such as understanding how AI-driven decisions are made, maintaining trust in outputs, erosion of creativity and authenticity and avoiding over-reliance on automated systems are becoming increasingly important. This reinforces the need for clear governance, professional standards, and ethical guidance as AI adoption accelerates.

APM launches prompt engineering learning module

To support its members, APM has launched a new learning module Prompt engineering for project professionals designed to equip project professionals with the skills needed to use AI effectively and responsibly:

The module is designed to bridge the gap between growing confidence in AI and the deeper expertise required to apply it strategically across complex project environments.

Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive of APM said: “Our research shows that AI is already transforming project delivery. What’s particularly striking is not just the level of adoption, but the breadth of ways in which AI is being used.

“While confidence is high, there is a clear need to build more advanced skills, particularly in areas like prompt engineering, ethical decision-making, and data-driven leadership. That’s why we’ve developed our new learning module - to give project professionals the tools they need to use AI effectively, responsibly, and with confidence.”