AI readiness is not enough: twards purpose-led AI governance in projects
AI readiness is not enough: twards purpose-led AI governance in projects
AI readiness is increasingly treated as a central condition for successful AI deployment in projects, an emphasis that can privilege capability, adoption, and performance while leaving questions of purpose largely unaddressed. Drawing on Industry 5.0 as a normative point of reference, this paper redirects attention to the ends AI deployment is expected to serve within projects. The concept of dual bounded rationality is introduced to interpret the interaction of human and algorithmic judgement under conditions in which AI capability is uneven and often opaque to users. From this perspective, governing AI in projects appears not only as a matter of preparation and adoption, but also of orientation and value. A purpose-led perspective is therefore offered as a contribution to current debate in order to broaden understanding of project AI governance in which questions of purpose, judgement, and accountability become more explicit.
AI Governance, Artificial intelligence, Dual Bounded Rationality, Industry 5.0, Normative Orientation, Project management
Dacre, Nicholas
90ea8d3e-d0b1-4a5a-bead-f95ab32afbd1
25 March 2026
Dacre, Nicholas
90ea8d3e-d0b1-4a5a-bead-f95ab32afbd1
Dacre, Nicholas
(2026)
AI readiness is not enough: twards purpose-led AI governance in projects.
International Journal of Project Management, [102850].
(doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2026.102850).
Abstract
AI readiness is increasingly treated as a central condition for successful AI deployment in projects, an emphasis that can privilege capability, adoption, and performance while leaving questions of purpose largely unaddressed. Drawing on Industry 5.0 as a normative point of reference, this paper redirects attention to the ends AI deployment is expected to serve within projects. The concept of dual bounded rationality is introduced to interpret the interaction of human and algorithmic judgement under conditions in which AI capability is uneven and often opaque to users. From this perspective, governing AI in projects appears not only as a matter of preparation and adoption, but also of orientation and value. A purpose-led perspective is therefore offered as a contribution to current debate in order to broaden understanding of project AI governance in which questions of purpose, judgement, and accountability become more explicit.
Text
Dacre_2026_AI_Readiness_Is_Not_Enough_Purpose_Led_AI_Governance_in_Projects
- Author's Original
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Accepted/In Press date: 25 March 2026
Published date: 25 March 2026
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Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 .
Keywords:
AI Governance, Artificial intelligence, Dual Bounded Rationality, Industry 5.0, Normative Orientation, Project management
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 511578
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/511578
ISSN: 0263-7863
PURE UUID: 29148d2a-7783-4e4b-ad23-7ebf08d4fee9
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Date deposited: 21 May 2026 16:42
Last modified: 22 May 2026 02:00
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