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

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9781/ijimai.2026.2230

Keywords:

Business Decisions, Generative AI, LLMs, Virtual Assistants

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.

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Author Biographies

Jesús Gil Ruiz, Universidad Europea

Jesús Gil Ruiz holds an International PhD in Computer Science and multiple engineering degrees, including Industrial, Civil, and Industrial Organization Engineering, along with a PMP® certification. He also earned an Executive MBA, a Master in Financial Management and Cost Control, and a Master in Railway Infrastructure Projects from the University of Barcelona. He completed executive programs in AI at MIT and Business Analytics at Wharton. Currently, he is CEO of PROJENER.AI, leading projects in renewable energy and oil and gas, and teaches in the Master of Data Visualization and Project Management at Universidad Europea.

Javier Zayas-Gallardo, Universidad de Extremadura

Javier Zayas Gallardo is a postgraduate student at the University of Malaga. Software Engineer by the University of Malaga. He has a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence from the Universidad Europea an another in Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering at the University of Malaga. He is currently doing a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Extremadura. He focuses on the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing, in which he is doing some research and his PhD.

Hernán Díaz Rodríguez, Universidad de Oviedo

Hernán Díaz Rodríguez holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Oviedo and an MBA from the Open University (UK). With over 20 years of experience in technology, he has led cloud-based projects for public administration bodies. He also spent five years as a researcher at CERN. He is the author of several publications in Artificial Intelligence, particularly in the areas of Optimization and Machine Learning.

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2026-02-23
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How to Cite

Gil Ruiz, J., Zayas-Gallardo, J., and Díaz Rodríguez, H. (2026). The Application of Large Language Models and Virtual Assistants in Project Management Research: A Review. International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence, 9(6), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.9781/ijimai.2026.2230