The Application of Large Language Models and Virtual Assistants in Project Management Research: A Review

Abstract

The rapid evolution of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming project management practices by enhancing efficiency, productivity and adaptability in decision-making processes. The integration of large language models (LLMs) into project management research and practice is reviewed, with a particular focus on virtual assistants as decision support tools. State-of-the-art models such as Mistral, Large Language Model Meta AI (LLaMa), Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and T5, are assessed for their potential to automate complex project tasks, extract insights from project datasets, and optimize decision-making across various project management domains and business sectors. Generative AI is shown to surpass traditional project management systems by not only analysing historical project data but also generating new strategies and solutions in real time. Applications include project risk assessment, resource allocation optimisation, stakeholder communication and project performance prediction. The role of fine-tuning and retraining LLMs to adapt them to industry-specific project management challenges is also examined enhancing relevance and performance across diverse business environments.