Paper and Presentation: Before AI Learns Us, We Must Learn Ourselves: The New Skillset for Project Managers in an AI-Driven World
Abstract: Artificial intelligence has changed what it means to be skilled. Tasks that once defined project management, building plans, estimating budgets, modeling risks, and reporting progress, can now be generated by AI in seconds. According to McKinsey & Company (2023), generative AI could automate work activities that currently absorb up to 70% of employees’ time. The result: technical expertise has become a commodity. Knowledge that once required certifications and years of experience is now instantly available.
So what remains? The moral weight of consequence, the human ability to judge, prioritize, and take responsibility for outcomes. As AI handles the how, project managers must lead through the why and when. This session, Before AI Learns Us, We Must Learn Ourselves, introduces the Signature Intelligence Model (SIM), a simple, research-based framework that helps PMs understand how they pursue goals and how they connect with others. Your unique combination of these two dimensions, your Signature, reveals how you plan, influence, and lead through uncertainty.
As MIT Sloan Management Review (2022) observed, “We are increasingly handing over decisions that carry moral weight to algorithms that have none.” This session helps you take that weight back, with confidence.
You’ll leave this session able to:
- Use self-awareness as a project leadership skill, stay grounded and accountable when AI accelerates plans and decisions.
- See where your style fits, or clashes, with your organization’s culture, so you can adapt, influence, and lead change effectively.
- Lead confidently with AI as your partner, knowing what to automate and what to own, combining AI speed with human judgment and stakeholder trust.
Try this today: before approving your next AI-generated project plan, pause and ask, “What part of this decision still belongs to me?”
PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working
Biography: Brandon Matthews is the Associate Vice President of the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), one of the nation’s largest public online universities. He oversees enterprise-wide portfolio governance, strategic planning, and execution management across the institution, driving alignment between institutional priorities and operational delivery.
With over 15 years of leadership experience across higher education, financial services, and technology, Brandon brings deep expertise in organizational transformation, digital strategy, and enterprise portfolio management. He has built and led high-performing teams responsible for advancing complex initiatives, optimizing performance, and strengthening collaboration across global and cross-functional environments.
Brandon holds an MBA and an M.A. in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University, and a B.S. in Computer Science from Stockton University. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).
He is recognized for his ability to translate strategy into action, bridging vision, governance, and execution to help organizations achieve sustainable growth and measurable impact.
