The global market for AI in project management is forecast to surge from £4.21 billion this year to £17.22 billion by 2032, according to new analysis from Research and Markets. The sector is experiencing explosive growth at a compound annual rate of 22.3% as organisations across manufacturing, financial services, IT and other industries transition from traditional project models to AI-driven approaches that enable automation, predictive risk management and smarter resource allocation.
Recent research by the Association for Project Management (APM) found that 70% of UK project professionals now use AI in their work, almost double the 36% recorded just two years ago. In construction, adoption has skyrocketed from 15% to 75% over the same period, with financial services climbing from 23% to 66%.
The Research and Markets analysis identifies five emerging AI capabilities that are fundamentally changing how organisations manage projects:
Predictive analytics for real-time risk identification and mitigation in complex projects allows teams to flag potential problems before they become blockers. Half of UK project professionals using AI report benefits in risk analysis and forecasting.
Natural language processing helps automate project documentation and stakeholder communications, with 43% of users seeing improvements in this area. The technology allows teams to generate reports, summarise updates and manage correspondence without manual intervention.
Reinforcement learning algorithms provide dynamic project scheduling and budget forecasting, adapting plans in real-time as circumstances change. This addresses one of project management’s persistent challenges: keeping schedules realistic as variables shift.
AI-driven sentiment analysis gauges team morale and collaboration metrics by analysing communication patterns, potentially alerting managers to engagement issues before they affect delivery. Digital twin simulations with AI forecast project outcomes and optimise workflows by creating virtual replicas of projects that can be tested and refined before real-world implementation.
The project professionals report that AI implementation delivers the most value in task and schedule automation, resource allocation and risk analysis, each benefiting 50% of users. Reporting and dashboarding improvements affect 49% of projects, whilst stakeholder communications see gains in 43% of cases.
Optimism about AI has grown substantially. In 2025, 62% of UK respondents believe the latest AI advancements will have a “very positive” effect on their sector, compared with just 15% who held that view in 2023.
