As more organizations embrace AI-assisted work, project leaders are asking sharper, more specific questions. They’re no longer wondering whether AI has a place in project management — they want to understand what it can actually do, how to use it responsibly, and how to prepare their teams for what’s next. In our recent PPM Power Session, produced in partnership with ProjectManagement.com, we focused the discussion on AI’s continuing impact on project management.
We’ve collected these frequently asked questions from our latest webinar, as well as conversations with PMOs, portfolio leaders, and project delivery teams, all of whom express a shared desire for clarity as AI tools mature and expand. Let’s dig in.
What are some practical examples of using AI in project and program management?
The biggest advantage comes from pairing AI with well-organized, consistent data — when your information is clean and accessible, AI can amplify your processes rather than complicate them.
- Analyzing data: AI can quickly process large amounts of complex data to highlight trends and patterns that would be difficult or time-consuming for humans to detect.
- Streamlining intake: AI can parse requests, organize them automatically, and route them to the right teams based on workloads and requirements.
- Surfacing risks: AI can oversee project data in real time to flag delays or dependencies based on the status of tasks and schedules.
- Generating schedules: AI can build or update schedules automatically by analyzing dependencies, resource availability, and overall project timelines.
Accelerating repetitive tasks: AI can take on manual, repetitive tasks like status updates, progress tracking, data entry, generating reports, and more to give teams back valuable time to focus on more strategic and creative work.
What’s your vision for the ideal hybrid human/AI team?
The most effective approach to AI in project management is a hybrid one — where people and AI each contribute what they do best. We often describe this as a “digital workforce,” a team of digital agents working alongside humans. AI can take on the repetitive and time-consuming work, like:
- Analyzing datasets
- Drafting initial versions of plans
- Surfacing issues
- Preparing reports
This frees people to focus on judgment, relationships, negotiation, and strategic decision-making.
In this model, AI becomes a reliable partner that prepares the groundwork, while humans remain accountable for interpretation and action. The goal isn’t to replace project managers, but to give them more space for the complex, nuanced work that drives outcomes. Over time, this hybrid structure leads to faster delivery, more consistency, and a PMO that can operate at a higher level with less friction.
What should I look out for when setting up AI guardrails?
Strong guardrails help teams use AI confidently and responsibly.
When setting yours up, focus on key areas like:
- Data privacy and security: Protect data privacy by using enterprise-grade tools that keep your information secure and ensure it isn’t used to train public models.
- Access and permissions: Define who can access what, when, and under which conditions.
- Clear internal guidelines: Set expectations around what constitutes the appropriate use of AI so that teams understand boundaries and best practices.
- Human oversight: Even with strong AI support, a human should always be the one to make decisions that affect budgets, relationships, or outcomes.
Transparent governance: Establish and review processes to make it easy to experiment while still safeguarding sensitive data and strategic decisions.
How can I prove the impact of AI tools?
The most effective approach is to start with a focused use case and measure the difference. Many teams track outcomes like time saved on reporting, faster issue resolution, improved schedule or budget accuracy, or fewer manual updates. By comparing performance before and after introducing AI, you can show real impact instead of relying on assumptions.
Smartsheet dashboards and reports make it easy to visualize these improvements in real time. Whether you’re evaluating task automation, data summarization, or scenario planning, tracking your KPIs creates a clear record of AI’s impact and helps build broader support for future initiatives.
How do I get my team excited about using AI?
Adoption works best when people feel empowered, not pressured. Encourage your team to start with small, low-risk tasks where AI can make an immediate difference — summarizing updates, categorizing data, or drafting reports. Celebrate early wins and give people opportunities to learn at their own pace through training sessions, office hours, or informal experimentation.
A human-led strategy is key. When teams understand that AI is designed to support their expertise, not replace it, they’re more open to exploring new tools and workflows. As people gain confidence, adoption tends to spread organically, creating momentum that grows without relying on top-down mandates.
What AI tools exist within Smartsheet?
Within Smartsheet, several, purpose-built AI capabilities make work easier:
- Generate formulas: Use Smartsheet AI to generate complex formulas using plain, conversational language.
- Analyze data: Get instant insights and create charts from your data, instantly.
- Generate text and summaries: Use your project data to summarize tasks, write copy, refine messaging, and more.
- Suggested descriptions: Generate clear, on-brand descriptions for content within Brandfolder to make it easier to find and understand.
Additionally, we’ve got even more exciting AI tools on the way:
- Smart Agents: Always-on, digital co-workers that automate tasks and unlock team capacity
- Smart Assist: Your gateway to activate powerful AI features with just a few clicks
- Smart Flows: The next evolution in automation, streamlining complex, intelligent workflows through conversation
- Smart Columns: The new way to apply AI processing to your data at scale, instantly
- Smart Hub: The control center to manage and deploy Smartsheet AI across portfolios and teams
Where can I find a full list of Smartsheet AI tools and what they do?
The most accurate and up-to-date source is our Smartsheet AI hub.
This page summarizes our vision for the future of AI at Smartsheet, including upcoming feature overviews, and it’s continuously updated as new capabilities roll out.
Want more insights?
Watch the full PPM Power session, and the rest of the series, on demand. To learn more about what’s coming up next at Smartsheet, check out the tools and features we have to offer for Projects & Portfolios. Stay tuned for future webinars as we continue to explore this evolving era of Intelligent Work Management — from panel discussions on AI tips and strategies to popular sessions from our ENGAGE customer conference, and more.
