PHILADELPHIA, PA — Project Management Institute has released what it describes as the first global standard for managing artificial intelligence initiatives, seeking to address governance and oversight challenges as organizations deploy AI technologies faster than regulatory frameworks are developing.
The new standard provides guidance for project, program, and portfolio managers responsible for planning, implementing, and overseeing AI initiatives across enterprises, PMI announced.
The release comes as businesses increasingly integrate AI into products, workflows, and operations while governments and regulators continue developing rules governing the technology’s use.
PMI said the framework includes eight guiding principles, five performance domains, and a lifecycle model intended to help organizations manage AI projects from initial design through deployment and ongoing oversight.
“AI transformation succeeds or fails in the projects and programs that deliver it,” PMI President and Chief Executive Officer Pierre Le Manh said. “This standard is about what makes AI deliverable at scale.”
The guidance is designed to be technology-agnostic, allowing organizations to apply the framework regardless of the AI models or platforms being deployed. PMI said the standard emphasizes human oversight throughout the project lifecycle and addresses issues including risk management, ethics, governance, compliance, and stakeholder accountability.
The organization developed the standard with input from project management practitioners and positioned it as a tool for organizations navigating emerging regulatory requirements, including the European Union’s AI Act and ISO 42001 standards for AI management systems.
“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 Kelly Heuer, PMI’s vice president of learning.
The publication reflects growing demand for operational governance frameworks as enterprises move beyond AI experimentation and begin scaling deployments across business functions. Industry leaders have increasingly focused on implementation, oversight, and accountability challenges as AI adoption accelerates.
The standard is available immediately through PMI’s membership platform, with digital and print editions offered to both members and nonmembers.
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