In January 2025, the Prime Minister announced plans to “mainline AI into the veins” of the UK.
So, before I start, let me affirm something …
Heyyyy!
Actual human here … writing an actual blog, from my actual thoughts and actual experiences about actual IT Project Management challenges and solutions.
There are so many AI generated blogs on IT Project Management now – I wanted to make it clear!
Real person, sat with a brew, staring at a (so far) blank word doc, waiting for me to type out my thoughts. Not a robot! Send me a CAPTCHA, I’ll happily point out the traffic lights!
M-AI-NLINE
It got me thinking. As an industry, we are using AI more to deliver IT Projects (not just our blogs) and it’s only going to ramp up! That “mainline AI into the veins” announcement by Sir Keir Starmer talked about billions of pounds of private sector investment, government support and that he wants Britain to be “the world leader” in AI.
Of course, a major reason for implementing AI is to save money! Even those that say that it’s about automating the mundane tasks or freeing talent to focus on other more strategic areas concede that, deep down, it’s really about the bottom line.
So, let’s consider our corner of the economy.
In a climate where everyone is looking for cost savings, is AI the way?
Blogs on IT Project Management are, as it happens, a microcosm and a handy metaphor.
At Stoneseed, we look at as many sources as possible to gather ideas for our own blogs, we publish at least 48 a year (enough to have published 7 volumes of “Straight Talk on Project Management”, a yearly e-book compilation of the very best of our blogs).
It’s useful to check in with the rest of the industry to see what challenges unite us! Also, it’s a highly effective way to identify business needs and nuances to help hone and tailor our IT Project Management as a Service offer – although usually our PMaaS universe already has the solution!
This all means that we read A LOT of blogs and …
… OH MY WORD!!!
There’s a proliferation of AI generated blogs and articles!
They stand out like a big yellow fire hydrant on that traffic light CAPTCHA!
PL-AI-N AND ST-AI-D
AI generated blogs lack personal connections and relatable anecdotes, there’s no warmth or depth, no shared experiences or emotional connection, and no deep knowledge (just dry lists of “stuff”). They are inconsequential, shorter and “fluffier” and lacking personal opinions and positions, ChatGPT, for instance, gathers information from various sources and gives you a broad consensus of option – bland!
And don’t get me started on the go-to AI phrases:
“In the realm of…”
“In today’s fast paced digital world…”
“Tapestry…”
“Multifaceted …”
“Foster…”
(I did say to not get me started!)
Who says “in the realm of” in real life?!?!?!
BUT … does it matter?
In the context of a business blog, where you are showcasing your unique offer, I think it does matter. You’ve spent time and money on your brand’s voice and personality, AI can’t replicate this, often not even its essence.
AI generated blogs can feel generic, sterile, shallow and forgettable. If that’s what you want your reader to feel about your brand, then crack on! You’ve saved a few quid by not hiring a talented storyteller or a few minutes of your time putting together a relatable narrative!
I said that this was a microcosm, the more we use AI to manage our IT projects, the more we run the risk of our delivery appearing generic and sterile too. Is that the vibe you want for your IT Project Management team?
I asked seven CIOs and IT Project Leaders to choose adjectives that they’d prefer, they selected: proactive; empathetic; innovative; knowledgeable; collaborative; communicative; resilient. These are much more aspirational attributes, they are “people” characteristics and, as we’ve already established, IT Project Management is a people business!
The key is to explore new ways of resourcing our people-centric business with that vital component – its people!
SELF PR-AI-SE
In a previous blog, “As AI does more heavy lifting, why IT PM’s soft EQ skills are becoming more important than ever”, we talked about EQ (Emotional Quotient aka Emotional Intelligence) and how real-life experience and connections are the valuable components that we project management humans have over AI.
With AI you get intelligent automation… but can it or does it replace the human touch?
As we wrote in that blog, “while AI can assist in project scheduling, risk analysis, resource allocation, and even decision-making, while it can enhance efficiency and productivity, it also brings with it a new set of unique challenges that require a human touch – EQ is going to be more valuable as an IT Project Management skill, not less!”
“As organisations rely more on AI in IT projects, it’s crucial that Project Managers maintain, develop, and harness their emotional intelligence. AI isn’t going anywhere and nor are we! The future of IT Project Management will, I think, evolve into a symbiotic relationship between artificial intelligence and emotional intelligence – technological success and the well-being of the people involved.”
That was an ace blog! You should read that next! (AI doesn’t insert self-congratulatory sentences, just saying – Ed)
T-AI-LORED
An AI writing assistant can be a valuable tool in blog writing; to draft the structure of the article for example. AI should never replace the human touch that adds colour to the canvas. In the same way, it’s wise to pick and choose where AI is applied in project management and delivery so as not to lose YOUR unique human selling points (Hu-S-P!!).
Due the nature of our PMaaS resourcing model, Stoneseed’s Project Managers, Business Analysts, and other project talent, instantly flex and fit into a client organisation. When joining a team, emotional intelligence is a huge strength that allows them to hit the ground running – it’s all tailored to fit in a heartbeat.
As we wrote in that As AI does more heavy lifting, why IT PM’s soft EQ skills are becoming more important than ever blog, “AI can handle the technical aspects, but EQ addresses the human and emotional dimensions of Project Management. Ours is still a people business. Project Managers with high EQ foster collaboration, manage stakeholders, make informed decisions, mitigate risks, adapt to changes, and communicate effectively.”
Happily, all our people have EQ in abundance.
They have other advantages too.
Let’s say you’re deploying AI to reduce talent overheads. Makes some sense, right? Employer National Insurance Contributions are about to rise, IR35 brought with it complexities and can still be a minefield, then there’s the costs of hiring, onboarding and retention!
AI is tempting.
TR-AI-LBLAZING
Thinking back to what we said about AI generated blogs though, and how they can appear “generic, sterile, shallow and forgettable” and those aspirational descriptive words the CIOs and project leaders shared – our people centred business craves more.
As the title says: HEART; MIND; BODY AND SOUL
In IT Project Management, it’s still your people who make the difference.
With Stoneseed’s Project Management as a Service (PMaaS), you open a highly experienced toolbox of skills and individuals – far more than you do byhiring one full-time employee or a contractor!
At Stoneseed we employ all our talent too, so we cover the cost of NI – the forecasted increases won’t impact you. IR35 is sorted too – it’s not even part of the equation with PMaaS talent.
Also, Stoneseed’s straightforward cost model and pay-as-you-go billing (giving you resources on demand) helps control budgets.
FINAL THOUGHT
In the realm of blogs (I couldn’t resist), you want the human touch to jump out of the screen and portray your brand’s personality.
In today’s fast paced digital world (still couldn’t resist), clients and stakeholders need to feel this authenticity, connection and tailored care too.
Generative AI might get there, it will already have scraped this blog to train itself!
For now, to “foster” the benefits of human touch project management, you need the best people, when and for how long you need them, PMaaS delivers a “multifaceted tapestry” of talent.
Our humans are waiting to take your call on 01623 723910.
More about Project Management as a Service from Stoneseed
Sources
www.stoneseed.co.uk/ebook/
As AI does more heavy lifting, why IT PM’s soft EQ skills are becoming more important than ever
news.sky.com/story/uk-to-mainline-ai-in-the-veins-under-new-plans-from-sir-keir-starmer-13287743