PMI Publishes World's First Global Standard for AI in Project Work as Governance Frameworks Struggle to Keep Pace

The AI Standard arrives at a moment when AI is being deployed through projects faster than regulation can govern it, and offers a principle-driven, technology-agnostic framework for the professionals delivering that work.

Project Management Institute (PMI), the world's leading authority on project success, today released The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management. It is the first published global standard for applying AI in professional project work, and it arrives at a moment when AI is being deployed across enterprises faster than the regulatory and governance frameworks meant to oversee it.

Nearly every AI deployment inside an organization is delivered as a project. New AI systems, AI-augmented workflows, AI-driven products: each is scoped, governed, and shipped by project, program, and portfolio teams. Until now, the professional discipline responsible for delivering AI transformation has had no published standard to guide how that work is done.

"Most conversations about AI governance focus on what the technology can do, and it’s often mind-blowing. But far less attention has been paid to how AI is actually delivered, which is almost always through projects,” said Pierre Le Manh, President & CEO, PMI. "AI transformation succeeds or fails in the projects and programs that deliver it. This standard is about what makes AI deliverable at scale."

The standard provides eight guiding principles, five performance domains, and a complete life-cycle framework for designing, deploying, and overseeing AI initiatives. It is technology-agnostic, so the guidance holds across AI tools and models that ship in the years ahead, and it is built around human-in-the-loop oversight at every stage.

The release arrives amid a broader global debate over how AI should be governed, as regulators advance risk-based rules, business leaders confront oversight gaps, and human rights advocates call for transparency, accountability, and inclusion by design. In this time of uneven progress on practical guidance, PMI’s standard gives project professionals a clear playbook to embed responsible AI governance into the work itself, from design and development through deployment.

In developing the standard, PMI drew on the expertise of its practitioner community, whose real-world experience directly shaped a standard designed for the practical decisions project professionals face as AI becomes embedded in delivery. It also addresses the decisions organizations are wrestling with now, from AI business cases and tool selection to AI-specific risk management, ethics oversight, as well as compliance with emerging requirements such as the EU AI Act and ISO 42001.

“Project professionals need a common operating language that helps them align legal, audit, finance, technology, and business teams around how AI work is approved, governed, and delivered,” said Dr. Kelly Heuer, VP Learning at Project Management Institute. "This standard gives project leaders running AI initiatives the tools to drive ethical implementation and the language to defend their work upstream, increasing the likelihood of project success."

The standard is available immediately to PMI members worldwide as a free digital download, with print editions available for purchase. Non-members can access the digital edition for $74.95 or through PMI membership.

About Project Management Institute (PMI)

PMI is the leading authority in project success. Since 1969, PMI has shone a light on the people and advanced practices behind successful projects. Supported by a global community of millions of project professionals and by thousands of corporations, government agencies and academic institutions, PMI provides the knowledge, resources and certifications to lead projects and transformations effectively and responsibly. Join PMI in elevating our world – one project at a time. Connect with us at www.pmi.org, linkedin.com/company/projectmanagementinstitute, on Instagram @pmi_org, and on TikTok @PMInstitute.

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