Inteligência artificial para ganhos em produtividade nas tarefas de gestão de projetos tradicionais: um experimento

Abstract

Executing communication tasks in the project management area with efficiency is an important aspect in the performance of project managers, give to them the opportunity to influence the quality of deliverables and coordinate the communication among stakeholders. However, the operational tasks and administrative routine can reduce the productivity of the project managers. With the enhancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially models such as ChatGPT, new opportunities was identified as a possibility to support project managers communications, automate analyses, and increase operational efficiency. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of using ChatGPT on productivity, quality, and perceived usefulness in a communication task in project management. A controlled experiment was conducted with 64 project management professionals, randomly assigned to a control group (n = 32), which completed the task using traditional methods, and an experimental group (n = 32), which used ChatGPT. Participants were instructed to prepare an executive communication based on a project status report, including schedule and cost performance analysis (SPI and CPI) and the recommendation of an action plan. Productivity was measured by task execution time; communication quality was assessed by two independent expert evaluators; and perceived usefulness was measured using the Task-Technology Fit (TTF) model. The results showed that the use of ChatGPT generated significant productivity gains, with an average reduction of 7.75 units of time in task execution compared to the control group. Perceived quality was also higher in communications produced with AI support, with the experimental group presenting significantly higher mean scores for clarity, objectivity, assertiveness, and audience appropriateness across both rounds of evaluation. In addition, participants in the experimental group reported greater satisfaction with the tool, a higher perceived positive impact on productivity, and a stronger intention to use it in real projects, with significant differences between groups for satisfaction, perceived productivity impact, and intention of future use, suggesting a high level of Task–Technology Fit. The findings indicate that generative AI, when applied to project management communication tasks, not only accelerates execution but also enhances the quality of deliverables and strengthens professionals’ perceptions of usefulness. These results reinforce the potential of ChatGPT as a strategic tool to support project managers by automating routine tasks, improving stakeholder communication, and increasing overall operational efficiency, contributing to more agile, accurate, and digitally enabled project management practices.