#FutureOfAI
When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge
24 January 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Introduction
Agile, artificial intelligence (AI), and strategic thinking are essential for businesses to thrive in today’s fast-paced world. Each pillar stands on its own. Combined, the synergistic intersections of these pillars forge a powerful triad, capable of revolutionizing operations, supercharging performance, and delivering unprecedented results.
Agile is an iterative and incremental methodology. Agile approaches (such as Scrum and Kanban) help teams work in short cycles, rapidly adapt to change, and deliver products and services expeditiously.
AI adds a new dimension to adaptability. Leveraging vast datasets, AI can automate tasks, generate actionable insights (for smarter, faster decisions), and more.
Strategic thinking is about anticipating change and identifying opportunities. It helps individuals navigate complexities and achieve long-term goals. Strategic thinking centers on understanding the broader context. It considers market dynamics, competition, and internal capabilities. It ensures efforts align with a clear vision. While agile promotes adaptability and AI powers insights, strategic thinking ties everything together.
The Real Magic Happens When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge
Here’s how the synergy plays out.
Agile Plus AI Provides Enhanced Agility with Intelligence
Agile combined with AI enables teams to work more effectively. For example, AI can analyze customer/user feedback and market data in real-time. This helps agile teams prioritize features or quickly pivot when needed.
AI also automates repetitive tasks. For example, it can handle some testing in software development. This frees teams to focus on innovation and higher-value work.
In addition, AI provides predictive insights. It helps improve sprint planning by anticipating challenges or uncovering opportunities. This helps teams stay one step ahead.
AI Plus Strategic Thinking Provides Data-Driven Strategy
AI and strategic thinking together create data-driven strategies. This empowers organizations to make informed and effective decisions.
AI provides precision at scale. It helps leaders analyze vast amounts of data, from market trends to user behavior. It assists them in crafting more impactful strategies.
AI’s predictive capabilities enhance scenario planning. Organizations can model potential outcomes and reduce uncertainty. This can provide a competitive edge.
Agile Plus Strategic Thinking Provides a Flexible Vision
Agile combined with strategic thinking creates a flexible vision. This helps organizations adapt and thrive in dynamic environments.
Agile methods allow strategies to evolve as real-world results emerge. Adaptable approaches replace rigid plans. This flexibility best positions businesses to respond effectively to new insights and changing conditions.
Agile also bridges the gap between execution and vision. It transforms ambitious goals into actionable steps; incremental progress aligns day-to-day efforts with long-term objectives.
Agile Plus AI Plus Strategic Thinking Provides Synergy at Its Best
When agile, AI, and strategic thinking converge, they create a powerful synergy. This drives a dynamic and adaptive approach to problem-solving and innovation.
Integrating AI into agile processes allows organizations to measure strategy effectiveness in real-time. They can make adjustments as needed, enabling real-time adaptive strategies.
This combination fosters a culture of fast-paced innovation. Agile frameworks and AI insights embed innovation into daily operations.
Strategic thinking ensures agility and AI are applied with purpose. It aligns efforts with long-term objectives. This provides resilience and better future-proofing in our ever-changing world.
Conclusion
Combining agile methodologies, AI technologies, and strategic thinking is not just advantageous—it's essential in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. Agile provides the framework to adapt quickly, AI augments decision-making with data-driven insights, and strategic thinking ensures a clear vision aligns these elements. Together, they create a synergistic system where responsiveness, innovation, and foresight form the foundation of sustainable success.
Read on for:
References/Sources
Select bibliography:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.
Graffius has generated more than USD $1.9 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.
Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
He is the author of two award-winning books.
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, January 24). When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/when-agile-ai-and-strategic-thinking-converge.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22277.46565
Short Link for Article
The short link for this article is https://bit.ly/ai-agile
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Introduction
Agile, artificial intelligence (AI), and strategic thinking are essential for businesses to thrive in today’s fast-paced world. Each pillar stands on its own. Combined, the synergistic intersections of these pillars forge a powerful triad, capable of revolutionizing operations, supercharging performance, and delivering unprecedented results.
Agile is an iterative and incremental methodology. Agile approaches (such as Scrum and Kanban) help teams work in short cycles, rapidly adapt to change, and deliver products and services expeditiously.
AI adds a new dimension to adaptability. Leveraging vast datasets, AI can automate tasks, generate actionable insights (for smarter, faster decisions), and more.
Strategic thinking is about anticipating change and identifying opportunities. It helps individuals navigate complexities and achieve long-term goals. Strategic thinking centers on understanding the broader context. It considers market dynamics, competition, and internal capabilities. It ensures efforts align with a clear vision. While agile promotes adaptability and AI powers insights, strategic thinking ties everything together.
The Real Magic Happens When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge
Here’s how the synergy plays out.
Agile Plus AI Provides Enhanced Agility with Intelligence
Agile combined with AI enables teams to work more effectively. For example, AI can analyze customer/user feedback and market data in real-time. This helps agile teams prioritize features or quickly pivot when needed.
AI also automates repetitive tasks. For example, it can handle some testing in software development. This frees teams to focus on innovation and higher-value work.
In addition, AI provides predictive insights. It helps improve sprint planning by anticipating challenges or uncovering opportunities. This helps teams stay one step ahead.
AI Plus Strategic Thinking Provides Data-Driven Strategy
AI and strategic thinking together create data-driven strategies. This empowers organizations to make informed and effective decisions.
AI provides precision at scale. It helps leaders analyze vast amounts of data, from market trends to user behavior. It assists them in crafting more impactful strategies.
AI’s predictive capabilities enhance scenario planning. Organizations can model potential outcomes and reduce uncertainty. This can provide a competitive edge.
Agile Plus Strategic Thinking Provides a Flexible Vision
Agile combined with strategic thinking creates a flexible vision. This helps organizations adapt and thrive in dynamic environments.
Agile methods allow strategies to evolve as real-world results emerge. Adaptable approaches replace rigid plans. This flexibility best positions businesses to respond effectively to new insights and changing conditions.
Agile also bridges the gap between execution and vision. It transforms ambitious goals into actionable steps; incremental progress aligns day-to-day efforts with long-term objectives.
Agile Plus AI Plus Strategic Thinking Provides Synergy at Its Best
When agile, AI, and strategic thinking converge, they create a powerful synergy. This drives a dynamic and adaptive approach to problem-solving and innovation.
Integrating AI into agile processes allows organizations to measure strategy effectiveness in real-time. They can make adjustments as needed, enabling real-time adaptive strategies.
This combination fosters a culture of fast-paced innovation. Agile frameworks and AI insights embed innovation into daily operations.
Strategic thinking ensures agility and AI are applied with purpose. It aligns efforts with long-term objectives. This provides resilience and better future-proofing in our ever-changing world.
Conclusion
Combining agile methodologies, AI technologies, and strategic thinking is not just advantageous—it's essential in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. Agile provides the framework to adapt quickly, AI augments decision-making with data-driven insights, and strategic thinking ensures a clear vision aligns these elements. Together, they create a synergistic system where responsiveness, innovation, and foresight form the foundation of sustainable success.
Read on for:
- Sources/References,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
References/Sources
Select bibliography:
- Atsmon, Yuval (2017, May 2). How to Unleash Your Strategic Thinking. Digital article. McKinsey & Company.
- Beall, Justin L. (2024, March 15). Revolutionizing Agile Ceremonies with OpenAI. Available at: https://dev.to/dev3l/revolutionizing-agile-ceremonies-with-openai-a-game-changer-in-software-development-177p.
- Berlin School of Business and Innovation (2022, September 22). How Do Technical Abilities Combined with Leadership Skills Fuel Career Growth? Available at: https://www.berlinsbi.com/blog/career-advice/how-do-technical-abilities-combined-with-leadership-skills-fuel-career-growth.
- Bonn, Ingrid (2005, June). Improving Strategic Thinking: A Multilevel Approach. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 26 (5). DOI: 10.1108/01437730510607844.
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (2024, September 27). Teaching AI What It Should and Shouldn’t Do. Available at: https://www.darpa.mil/news/2024/teaching-ai.
- Dixit, Avinash K., & Nelebuff, Barry J. (1993). Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
- Dolev, Niva, & Itzkovich, Yariv (2020). In the AI Era, Soft Skills are the New Hard Skills. In: Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Business, pp. 55-77. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
- Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (n.d.). Strategic Thinking for Engineering Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence. Available at: https://www.ervacommunity.org/task-force/visioning-event-strategic-thinking-for-engineering-research-in-the-era-of-ai/.
- Exceptional Agility (2023, April 10). What's the Future of Agile? Available at: https://exceptionalagility.com/blog/files/the-future.html.
- Goldman, Ellen F. (2007, Summer). Strategic Thinking at the Top. MIT Sloan Management Review, 48 (4): 75-81.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2016). Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2016). Thinking Strategically and Acting Tactically. Winnetka, CA: Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2018, October 18). Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage [Presentation]. Talk delivered at Techstars Startup Week Conference. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25009.12647.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2019). Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change. Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2020, October 16). Four Ways to Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills Today. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/4-Strategic.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2023, May 1). AI is a Team Sport: A Confluence of Diverse Technical and Soft Skills are Crucial for Success. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/successful-ai-teams.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.20321.79200.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2024, May 3). Leverage Agile and AI to Innovate at the Speed of Light. Talk at private event in Dubai, UAE. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.30790.48960.
- Kerzner, Harold (2022). Innovation Project Management: Methods, Case Studies, and Tools for Managing Innovation Projects—Second Edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.
- Kilby, Mark (2024, February 2). How AI Will Reshape Agile Development: Takeaways from a Recent Briefing. Agile Alliance. Available at: https://www.agilealliance.org/how-ai-will-reshape-agile-development-takeaways-from-a-recent-briefing/.
- Lang, Trudi, & Ramírez, Rafael (2023, October 11). How Ghost Scenarios Haunt Strategy Execution. MIT Sloan Management Review. Available at: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-ghost-scenarios-haunt-strategy-execution/.
- Lieberman, Marvin (2021, February). Is Competitive Advantage Intellectually Sustainable? Strategic Management Review, 2 (1): 29-46.
- Maneria, Sumitra, & Paikaray, Divya (2023). Artificial Intelligence and Agile Based Business Development Review. Third International Conference on Advance Computing and Innovative Technologies in Engineering (ICACITE), 2023, pp. 2091-2095. DOI: 10.1109/ICACITE57410.2023.10182756.
- Panesar, Gurpreet Singh, and Chadha, Raman, and Sharma, Ashim, and Tinna, Mandeep Singh, and Gupta, Anish, & Puri, Digvijay (2022). Atificial Intelligence in Business Development and Agile Software. Second International Conference on Advance Computing and Innovative Technologies in Engineering (ICACITE), 2022, pp. 306-311. DOI: 10.1109/ICACITE53722.2022.9823907.
- Reynolds, K. (2013). Strategic Thinking for Today's Project Managers. Paper presented at PMI Global Congress 2013—North America, New Orleans, LA. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
- Schoemaker, Paul J. H. (1993, March). Multiple Scenario Development: Its Conceptual and Behavioral Foundation. Strategic Management Journal, 14 (3): 193-213.
- Steinberger, Tom, & Wiersema, Margarethe (2021). Data Models as Organizational Design: Coordinating Beyond Boundaries Using Artificial Intelligence. Strategic Management Review, 2 (1): 119-144.
- Syrett, Michael, & Devine, Marion (2012). Managing Uncertainty: Strategies for Surviving and Thriving in Turbulent Times. London, United Kingdom: Profile Books.
- Tallman, Stephen, and Shenkar, Oded, & Wu, Jay Valerian. (2023). Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: Use and Abuse of Culture in International Strategy Research. Strategic Management Review, 4 (2): 193-229.
- TechRepublic (2023, December 22). Crucial Skills Gaps in the UK Include AI and Strategic Thinking, According to Red Hat. Available at: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/red-hat-uk-tech-skills-gap-survey/.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius sparks breakthroughs in AI, agile, and project management/PMO leadership as a globally recognized practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and international public speaker.
Graffius has generated more than USD $1.9 billion in business value for organizations served, including Fortune 500 companies. Businesses and industries range from technology (including R&D and AI) to entertainment, financial services, and healthcare, government, social media, and more.
Graffius leads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded talent, and consulting services to public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
He is the author of two award-winning books.
- His first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (ISBN-13: 9781533370242), received 17 awards.
- His second book is Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change (ISBN-13: 9781072447962). BookAuthority named it one of the best Scrum books of all time.
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have featured Graffius and his work including content from his books, talks, workshops, and more. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Tennis Association,
- Veleučilište u Rijeci Croatia,
- Verizon,
- Virginia Tech,
- Warsaw University of Technology,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has been actively involved with the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the development of professional standards. He was a member of the team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Graffius was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, and The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition. He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
He divides his time between Los Angeles and Paris, France.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, January 24). When Agile, AI, and Strategic Thinking Converge. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/when-agile-ai-and-strategic-thinking-converge.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22277.46565
Short Link for Article
The short link for this article is https://bit.ly/ai-agile
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
AI in Agile: Benefits, Risks, Outlook
27 May 2025
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
Introduction
Artificial intelligence is evolving from a tool to an active collaborator in Agile project management. As AI becomes more integrated into workflows, it offers transformative benefits and introduces new challenges. To fully realize its potential, teams must ensure AI aligns with and supports Agile’s values. This article explores the pros, cons, and future trajectory of AI as a virtual teammate.
The Four Key Values of Agile
AI in Agile must honor Agile's values. The Agile Manifesto identifies four key values.
These values emphasize people, working solutions, customer engagement, and adaptability. AI in Agile must honor them.
Benefits
Here's how AI can enhance Agile teams.
Risks
Here are the risks, challenges, and limitations.
Integrating Agile Values in the Age of AI
As AI becomes a more prominent “teammate” in Agile environments, it’s essential to ensure that its integration supports—not supplants—the foundational values of Agile. Let’s examine how each value can be honored (or threatened) as teams adopt AI.
Outlook
Here's what's next for AI in Agile.
Conclusion
AI is set to transform Agile project management, enhancing productivity, decision-making, and collaboration. However, achieving these benefits demands a thoughtful approach that mitigates risks while keeping Agile values central. Successful teams will embrace AI as a collaborative partner in continuous improvement, investing in ongoing training to empower individuals, deliver working solutions, collaborate closely with customers, and adapt swiftly to change.
Bibliography
Select bibliography:
About the Main Visual
Here's information on the Benefits-Risks-Outlook visual at the top of this article:
More
Continue reading for:
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 93 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, May 27). AI in Agile: Benefits, Risks, Outlook. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-in-agile-benefits-risks-and-outlook-by-scott-m-graffius.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Introduction
Artificial intelligence is evolving from a tool to an active collaborator in Agile project management. As AI becomes more integrated into workflows, it offers transformative benefits and introduces new challenges. To fully realize its potential, teams must ensure AI aligns with and supports Agile’s values. This article explores the pros, cons, and future trajectory of AI as a virtual teammate.
The Four Key Values of Agile
AI in Agile must honor Agile's values. The Agile Manifesto identifies four key values.
- Value 1 (🧑🤝🧑) - Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
- Value 2 (💻) - Working software over comprehensive documentation.
- Value 3 (🤝) - Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
- Value 4 (🔄) - Responding to change over following a plan.
These values emphasize people, working solutions, customer engagement, and adaptability. AI in Agile must honor them.
Benefits
Here's how AI can enhance Agile teams.
- Enhanced Decision-Making: AI excels at processing and analyzing large volumes of project data, providing actionable insights and forecasts that help Agile teams make smarter, faster decisions. This includes identifying potential risks, predicting delivery timelines, and suggesting optimal backlog priorities. (Supports 🔄.)
- Increased Productivity Through Automation: By automating repetitive tasks such as scheduling and status reporting, AI frees team members to focus on complex problem-solving and creative work. This automation speeds up delivery and reduces manual errors and administrative burdens. (Supports 🧑🤝🧑 and 💻.)
- Optimized Resource Management: AI can assess team capacity, monitor workloads, and recommend real-time adjustments to resource allocation, ensuring that sprints are balanced and no one is overloaded. (Supports 🧑🤝🧑 and 🔄.)
- Better Risk Management: Leveraging historical data, AI can detect early warning signs of project derailment and suggest mitigation strategies, helping teams stay ahead of potential issues. (Supports 🔄.)
- Improved Team Morale and Collaboration: AI’s conversational interfaces can potentially enhance team morale by facilitating smoother communication. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can augment communication and support collaboration across distributed teams. (Supports 🤝.)
Risks
Here are the risks, challenges, and limitations.
- Amplifying Existing Dysfunctions: If Agile fundamentals are weak—such as skipping retrospectives or treating Agile as a checklist—AI can inadvertently magnify these issues. For example, AI-generated code can introduce technical debt if not properly reviewed, and teams may overload sprints by mistaking increased speed for increased value. (Can undermine 🧑🤝🧑 and 💻.)
- Over-reliance and Loss of Human Judgment: AI is not a substitute for human expertise. It can struggle with complex decision-making, context-specific nuances, and creative problem-solving. Blindly following AI recommendations may lead to suboptimal outcomes, missed opportunities for innovation, or other problems. (Can undermine 🧑🤝🧑 and 🔄.)
- Quality and Security Risks: AI-generated outputs, especially code, can introduce unexpected bugs or security vulnerabilities. Without careful oversight and regular retrospectives, these risks can accumulate and threaten project stability. (Can undermine 💻.)
- Data and Cost Constraints: Effective AI integration requires access to high-quality data and can involve significant costs for tools and training. Not all organizations are equipped to meet these demands, particularly smaller teams or those with limited budgets. (Can undermine 🧑🤝🧑 and 🤝.)
Integrating Agile Values in the Age of AI
As AI becomes a more prominent “teammate” in Agile environments, it’s essential to ensure that its integration supports—not supplants—the foundational values of Agile. Let’s examine how each value can be honored (or threatened) as teams adopt AI.
- Value 1 (🧑🤝🧑) - Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools: AI can automate routine tasks and streamline workflows, but the heart of Agile remains the collaboration between people. Teams should use AI to enhance communication and free up time for meaningful interactions, not to replace human connection with automated processes.
- Value 2 (💻) - Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation: AI’s ability to accelerate development and automate testing can help teams deliver working software faster. However, teams must prioritize delivering value over generating outputs or reports. AI should be leveraged to support rapid iteration and feedback, not to create unnecessary complexity.
- Value 3 (🤝) - Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiation: AI-powered analytics and chatbots can provide new ways to gather and analyze customer feedback. Still, Agile teams must ensure that these tools facilitate genuine collaboration with customers, keeping their needs and voices central to the process.
- Value 4 (🔄) - Responding to Change over Following a Plan: AI can help teams anticipate change by identifying trends and risks earlier, enabling more informed pivots. Yet, teams must remain flexible and avoid rigidly following AI-driven plans at the expense of adapting to new information or opportunities.
Outlook
Here's what's next for AI in Agile.
- Deeper Integration and Smarter Tools: Over the next one to five years, AI is expected to become an integral part of Agile project management, further enhancing sprint planning, backlog management, and risk analysis. AI-powered assistants will likely become more proactive, offering real-time coaching and adaptive workflow recommendations. (Will impact 🧑🤝🧑, 💻, and 🔄.)
- Focus on Adaptability and Learning: Agile teams will need to continuously adapt their practices to integrate AI effectively—using retrospectives to assess AI’s impact, refining processes, and ensuring that speed does not come at the expense of quality. (Supports 💻 and 🔄.)
- Human-AI Collaboration: The future of Agile lies in balancing AI’s analytical power with human creativity and judgment. Teams that leverage AI as a “collaborative teammate”—rather than a replacement—will unlock greater productivity, innovation, and job satisfaction. (Supports 🧑🤝🧑 and 🤝.)
Conclusion
AI is set to transform Agile project management, enhancing productivity, decision-making, and collaboration. However, achieving these benefits demands a thoughtful approach that mitigates risks while keeping Agile values central. Successful teams will embrace AI as a collaborative partner in continuous improvement, investing in ongoing training to empower individuals, deliver working solutions, collaborate closely with customers, and adapt swiftly to change.
Bibliography
Select bibliography:
- Beall, Justin L. (2024, March 15). Revolutionizing Agile Ceremonies with OpenAI. Available at: https://dev.to/dev3l/revolutionizing-agile-ceremonies-with-openai-a-game-changer-in-software-development-177p.
- Beck, K., Beedle, M., van Bennekum, A., Cockburn, A., Cunningham, W., Fowler, M., Grenning, J., Highsmith, J., Hunt, A., Jeffries, R., Kern, J., Marick, B., Martin, R. C., Mellor, S., Schwaber, K., Sutherland, J., & Thomas, D. (2001). Manifesto for Agile Software Development. Also known as the Agile Manifesto. Available at: https://agilemanifesto.org/.
- Berlin School of Business and Innovation (2022, September 22). How Do Technical Abilities Combined with Leadership Skills Fuel Career Growth? Available at: https://www.berlinsbi.com/blog/career-advice/how-do-technical-abilities-combined-with-leadership-skills-fuel-career-growth.
- Booklife by Publishers Weekly (n.d.). Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum. Available at: https://booklife.com/project/agile-protocol-the-transformation-ultimatum-100435.
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (2024, September 27). Teaching AI What It Should and Shouldn’t Do. Available at: https://www.darpa.mil/news/2024/teaching-ai.
- Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (n.d.). Strategic Thinking for Engineering Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence. Available at: https://www.ervacommunity.org/task-force/visioning-event-strategic-thinking-for-engineering-research-in-the-era-of-ai/.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2016). Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2018, October 18). Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage [Presentation]. Talk delivered at Techstars Startup Week Conference. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.25009.12647.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2019). Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change. Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2020, November 27). Definition of Agile Culture. Available at: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/agile-culture.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2023, May 1). AI is a Team Sport: A Confluence of Diverse Technical and Soft Skills are Crucial for Success. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/successful-ai-teams.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.20321.79200.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2023, October 9). Top 5 Roles on AI Teams. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-team-roles.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.34857.57449.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2023). What Successful AI Teams Have in Common [Video]. Graffius’ talk at the 2023 Conf42 Quantum Computer Conference. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2qRKFbSKYE.
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About the Main Visual
Here's information on the Benefits-Risks-Outlook visual at the top of this article:
- It was designed to be out-of-the box, visually striking, and memorable.
- It symbolizes stakes, decision-making, and risk management—all highly relevant to Agile and AI.
- It conveys: "This is a high-stakes game. Play it smart." That resonates strongly with the evolving intersection of AI and Agile.
More
Continue reading for:
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- How to Cite This Article,
- and more.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is an AI, Agile, and Project Management/PMO leader, researcher, author, and speaker. Along the way, he spearheaded initiatives that have generated over $2.3 billion in impact for organizations across tech, entertainment, finance, healthcare, and beyond. The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.
Experience
Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.
Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.
He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.
Award-Winning Author
Graffius has authored three books.
- Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
- Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
- Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.
International Public Speaker
Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. To date, Graffius has conducted 93 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.
With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.
The speaker engagement request form is here.
Thought Leadership and Influence
Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- BMC Software,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
- Computer Weekly,
- Constructor University - Germany,
- Data Governance Success,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Dropbox,
- EU's European Commission,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Gartner,
- GoDaddy,
- Harvard Medical School,
- Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
- IEEE,
- Innovation Project Management,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- Journal of Neurosurgery,
- Lam Research (Semiconductors),
- Leadership Worthy,
- Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- NASSCOM,
- National Academy of Sciences,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Pinterest Inc.,
- Project Management Institute,
- Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
- SANS Institute,
- SBG Neumark - Germany,
- Singapore Institute of Technology,
- Torrens University - Australia,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Tufts University,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway - Ireland,
- US Department of Energy,
- US National Park Service,
- US Soccer,
- US Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Wrike,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition.
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition.
- The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition.
- The Practice Standard for Project Estimating—Second Edition.
Additional details are here.
He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.
Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft
Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his 'Phases of Team Development' as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.
The 2025 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.
Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms
Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His 'Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts' research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities such as the Center for Direct Marketing, Fast Company, GoDaddy, Pinterest Inc., and PNAS, among others, his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.
The 2025 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.
Education and Professional Certifications
Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:
- Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
- Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
- Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
- Project Management Professional (PMP),
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
- IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).
He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management
Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.
Thought Leader | Public Speaker | Agile Protocol Book | Agile Scrum Book | Agile Transformation Book | Blog | Photo | X | LinkedIn | Email
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2025, May 27). AI in Agile: Benefits, Risks, Outlook. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-in-agile-benefits-risks-and-outlook-by-scott-m-graffius.html.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
DOI: (coming soon)
Content Acknowledgements
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