Artificial Intelligence - Powered Project Management Tools for Enhanced Productivity: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming project management by enhancing productivity improving forecasting accuracy, supporting more informed managerial decision making. Despite the growing body of research on AI applications in project environments the literature remains fragmented across technological, managerial and organisational dimensions. This study addresses this gap through a concept-centric systematic literature review of peer-reviewed studies published between 2022 and 2026. Drawing on a final sample of 72 studies selected from an initial dataset of 205 publications, the review synthesises the literature into key thematic areas, namely AI-enabled productivity, predictive analytics, prescriptive analytics, AI-driven risk prediction, human–AI collaboration, ethical AI governance, digital ecosystems and data infrastructure, governance and organisational integration, sustainability, and managerial decision support. The findings indicate that AI has evolved from a supporting analytical tool into a strategic capability that enables proactive project management through early risk detection, real-time monitoring, performance optimisation, and intelligent decision support. The review further highlights that the effective adoption of AI depends not only on technological sophistication but also on organisational readiness, governance structures, data quality, and the integration of human judgement with intelligent systems. The study contributes to the literature by providing a structured conceptual synthesis of AI in project management and identifying important directions for future research particularly the need for integrated frameworks, empirical validation across the project lifecycle, and stronger attention to ethical and governance considerations in AI-enabled project environments.