Mind the gap: project managers, AI literacy, and the future of project management competences

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly seen as a transformative force in business and project management. While organizations are eager to leverage AI for improved efficiency and decision-making, implementation challenges persist—particularly in cultivating the necessary competencies among project professionals. This paper explores how project managers perceive the importance of AI literacy compared to traditional project management competencies such as technical and behavioral skills. Using Q-methodology with 35 project professionals, we identified four distinct viewpoints on competence priorities. These range from performance-oriented and people-centered perspectives to a strategy-focused view and an AI-literacy/data-proficiency view. In this P-set, the AI-literacy viewpoint emerged as the least salient, suggesting that such skills are not yet perceived as central to day-to-day project success. We discuss distinguishing statements for each viewpoint and derive implications for competence frameworks and targeted training. The study clarifies how AI-related capabilities intersect with established project management competencies and outlines practical pathways for capability building. • AI literacy is undervalued, project managers prioritize traditional skills over AI competencies, despite growing digital demands. • Four perspectives emerge in the Q-sort analysis: traditionalists, strategists, people-focused, and tech-oriented. • Lack of AI exposure and perceived complexity limit AI literacy uptake, representing barriers to AI understanding and adoption • Organizations must promote AI literacy through targeted training and strategic integration.