Implications of artificial intelligence-powered construction project management for human creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving

As project managers increasingly integrate AI for predictive analytics and cost forecasting, concerns have been raised about the extent to which such reliance might alter opportunities for exercising independent judgement. These discussions suggest possible implications for organisational resilience, particularly if decision-making becomes overly aligned with algorithmic outputs. However, empirical evidence substantiating the negative relationship between the use of AI-powered tools and the development or erosion of cognitive skills remains limited. This study seeks to address that gap by investigating whether reliance on AI in construction project management diminishes the cognitive skills of project managers. This study uses a quantitative, machine learning-assisted design based on a survey of construction project managers in Nigeria to test whether adopting AI-powered project management systems negatively affects creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving competencies. The results challenge the widespread assumption that the growing use of artificial intelligence necessarily undermines creativity, critical thinking, or problem-solving ability. Instead, the findings point to a reality in which AI plays a largely complementary role, with only AI-driven quality control having a consistent negative effect. The study concludes that integrating AI into planning, budgeting, BIM and communication workflows amplifies managers’ analytical bandwidth. It also frees cognitive resources for higher-order tasks.