Augmentation or Replacement: The Role of AI in Agile Leadership

AI artificial intelligence has been on the rise and this has created debate on how it is expected to transform many industries and roles. In Agile software development there are two important roles, the Product Owner (PO) and the Scrum Master (SM) who are supposed to deliver value-added products to the customers. The requirements of these certified scrummaster and certified scrum product owner roles are not only the technical skills, but also the emotional skills, concepts, and intelligence. As AI artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated, the question arises: Is it going to be the alternative to Product Owner and Scrum Master or is it going to be the addition to their work?

 

According to the report ‘Artificial Intelligence Market Size & Trends’, published by Grand View Research, the global artificial intelligence market reached USD 196.63 billion in 2023, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 36.6% from 2024 to 2030 reaching the remarkable figure of 1,811.75 million USD. Given that AI is able to analyze data, make decisions and in some cases even replicate human decision-making, it is not surprising that there has been a question about whether or not AI is going to replace human beings in the workforce. But the kind of work that POs and SMs do indicate that although AI can be helpful in some of these roles, it might be a whole different ball game to completely do away with all these positions.

 

This article is aimed at the analysis of the question of Whether AI can replace Product Owner and Scrum Master? , the main functions of the given positions, what AI can and cannot perform at the moment. Awareness of these aspects will let us know whether AI artificial intelligence course is on the edge of becoming addition or substitution for these crucial positions in Agile teams. 

 

Understanding the Roles The Product Owner and the Scrum Master

Before considering the potential of using AI instead of the Product Owner and Scrum Master, it is necessary to define the work of these positions.

 

●    Product Owner (PO): The certified scrum product owner CSPO is also expected to manage the relationship between the stakeholders and the development team for the purpose of making sure that the product being developed fulfils the business and the customer requirements. This role is about deciding how the product will be changing in the coming period, deciding the backlog and its schedule and also deciding on the product. The PO is stuck in the middle of different stakeholders, defines what is important and has to make sure that the development team has the right understanding of why a product is being developed. It is not simply an intellectual task, but it is a matter of strategy, of knowledge of the market and, above all, of genuine appreciation for the customer.

 

●    Scrum Master (SM): The CSM certified scrummaster also has the responsibility of making sure that the organization implements Scrum correctly and that the team is practicing Agile. This involves scheduling of meetings, clearing of anything that may interfere with the team and facilitating change. The SM is also engaged in conflict resolution, communication enhancement and steering of the team as regards value delivery. The CSM is not allowed to make any decisions for the team, but he/she is a tool for the team and a sarge to enforce the Agile processes and values.

 

Both are significant in Agile projects and efficiency of the roles is based on technical competencies, project knowledge and, most importantly, interpersonal skills, communication skills, understanding and leadership.

 

Also check - CSM vs CSPO

 

Advantages of AI in Agile Context

AI has made significant strides in various domains, and its integration into Agile development processes offers several potential benefits: 

 

• Data-Driven Decision Making: AI is capable of analyzing big data in a shorter time and with less mistakes as compared to human beings. For example, it can choose patterns, risks, and which aspects should be considered important using the interaction with the user and market trends from the previous project data. By 2030, 80 percent of the work of today’s project management (PM) discipline will be eliminated as artificial intelligence (AI) takes on traditional PM functions such as data collection, tracking and reporting, according to Gartner, Inc.

 

• Automation of Routine Tasks: AI is best suited where there is routine work to be done and this is especially so where it is applied in the Agile setting. For example, AI can help in converting product backlogs, preparing performance reports, and monitoring measures in projects. It can greatly minimize the paperwork that has to be done by POs and SMs who may be more useful in other activities. McKinsey & Company estimates that automation could increase productivity in various sectors by up to 30%, underscoring the potential efficiency gains in Agile teams through AI-driven automation.

 

• Predictive Analytics: Another advantage which Agile teams can get from the use of AI is that, given the historical data and the machine learning models, AI is capable of predicting the results of the project. With the help of AI, the delivery schedule can be forecasted, and potential delay can be pointed out, as well as measures to prevent it can be recommended in advance. A report by PwC found that 54% of executives believe AI will boost productivity and enable better forecasting in project management, highlighting the potential impact of AI in improving project planning and execution.

 

• Natural Language Processing (NLP): The NLP based AI tools can be incorporated in communication within Agile teams as the answer to the often-asked questions; as a meeting recap; as the initiation of the interview with stakeholders to explore their requirements. For example, the SM can use the AI chatbots to respond to questions or make inquiries that do not require the attention of the SM thus saving the SM’s time for important matters. The global NLP market, valued at $11.6 billion in 2020, is expected to reach $68.1 billion by 2030, reflecting the NLP for Corporate Decision Makers and  growing adoption of AI-driven communication tools in various industries, including Agile development.

 

• Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Suggestions given by AI systems and the forecasts they make are usually enhanced by the fact that AI systems are programmed to learn from past occurrences. Another aspect of AI is the continuous learning which implies that as more data is fed into the system, the AI is better placed to understand characteristics of projects, desires of the stakeholders, and the actions taken by the teams and therefore offer more timely and relevant information. A survey by Deloitte found that 61% of businesses that have adopted AI are already seeing tangible benefits, with continuous learning being a key driver of success.

 

Limitations of using AI in the Product Owner and Scrum Master positions

 

• The Human Element: Where AI Falls Short While AI offers numerous advantages, it struggles to replicate certain inherently human abilities that are crucial for the roles of PO and SM.

 

 

• Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Emotional intelligence therefore refers to the extent to which one is sensitive, and able to manage his/her own feelings as well as those of others. It is helpful in the case of the POs and SMs because they need to work with the matters of the team, problems, and motivate people. According to a report by Knowledgereview, Emotional Intelligence [EI] in Corporates accounts for 58% of job performance, and 90% of top performers have high EQ. But AI does not have feelings and cannot make decisions based on feelings and so it is difficult for AI to deal with the emotional and interpersonal aspects of these jobs.

 

 

• Complex Decision-Making: AI is good at selecting the choice, which is best under some conditions but bad at selecting between choices where the value of one option is a function of the consequences of the selection and the other option is a function of the importance of the value. The POs are always in a dilemma of being caught in between various stakeholders, to choose between two or more priorities and to look at the organizational consequences of the action. A study by the MIT Sloan Management Review found that 62% of executives believe AI can make better data-driven decisions, but only 24% think AI can handle complex decision-making that requires human judgment. 

 

 

• Creativity and Innovation: Speaking of the challenges’ solving or the development of the solutions, it is necessary to mention that creativity and innovation are among the main priorities of agile methodologies. AI can produce ideas from some patterns that are existent but it cannot help in the development of new ideas. Creativity is the ability to come up with out of the box ideas and this is a capacity that cannot be possessed by machines but men. Research from the World Economic Forum suggests that by 2025, creativity will be one of the top three skills required in the workforce, emphasizing its importance in roles like PO and SM, where innovative solutions are key to success.

 

 

• Stakeholder Management: The other activity that a PO is expected to do is stakeholder management, this means that a PO should be able to identify stakeholders, their wants and demands as well as politics in an organization. This involves a lot of interaction with people, diplomacy, and tact that are hard to imbue in an Artificial Intelligence. A survey by McKinsey found that 70% of large-scale transformations fail, often due to poor stakeholder management. This statistic shows that there is still time for people’s involvement in the management of stakeholders for the success of a project, which is a task that AI cannot perform.

 

 

• Ethical Considerations: The decision making is done through the AI system and this may result in a biased or even an ethically wrong decision. Thus, it is possible to state that human POs and SMs are able to apply ethical judgment and they are more globally responsible for their decisions and actions. A study by Accenture found that 74% of executives believe AI will fundamentally change how they interact with customers, but only 25% are confident that they have considered the ethical implications of these interactions. This underlines the fact that there is need to have human intervention in the functioning of the AI and the actions it undertakes in order to ensure that they meet the acceptable standards of the society.

 

Whether AI can replace Product Owner and Scrum Master ?

Whether AI can replace Product Owner and Scrum Master question is not complicated  to answer AI will not replace human scrum master or product owners but the person having AI skills will. This also assumes that as the AI technology develops it will be applied in Agile teams. The future AI systems could be even more developed in terms of NLP, EI and ethical decision making. However, such innovations give an insight into the future of AI, that is, it will not be a world whereby AI replaces human actors.

 

Augmentation Over Replacement: Thus, AI can be considered as a sort of tool that may help to improve the performance of POs and SMs. For instance, it can offer analytical data which can be used in decision making and can offer diagnostic data which can be used by the teams to prepare for problems. But creative thinking, emotional understanding and ethical reasoning to make sure that the AI for these positions will be required. Gartner predicts that by 2025, AI augmentation will create $2.9 trillion in business value and recover 6.2 billion hours of worker productivity, highlighting the potential for AI to enhance rather than replace human roles.

 

Hybrid Roles: The future might also witness growth of new forms of work in which there is strong integration of AI and human beings. Due to the amount of data that could be generated, it would be easier for the AI tools to handle the data while the POs and SMs could spend more time on the analysis of the results, relationship management and problem solving. In this case, the human professionals would be in a position to dedicate their time on the areas that would be most suitable for them for instance, creativity, interpersonal skills and integrity while the AI would be handling other mechanical aspects of the job. A report by the World Economic Forum suggests that 85 million jobs may be displaced by AI by 2025, but 97 million new roles may emerge that are adapted to the new division of labor between humans, machines, and algorithms.

 

Continuous Learning: Most likely, AI systems will remain as ‘works in progress’ and would be able to learn and fine-tune their performance in Agile roles. However, this evolution will be possible depending on the quality of data on which they are trained and the ability of human beings to oversee and understand the outcomes. As Agile practices adopt AI, then POs and SMs will need to have AI literacy skills to interact with the AI tools. According to the Vinsys AI skill report 2024 , how 60% of organizations are planning to implement AI and 25% have already done so successfully over the next five years, indicating the importance of upskilling in these areas.

 

Conclusion -  Will AI replace my job in Agile roles

 

AI can be very helpful to the product owners and scrum masters but it will not be able to fully take their positions in the near future. AI is most effective in data analysis, automations, and predictive, all of which can help improve the effectiveness of agile teams. However, in the environments in which POs and SMs operate, often in large, dynamic and constantly changing organizations, creativity, and emotional intelligence and moral reasoning remain important. The likely future of AI is the integration of man and machine where the weak point of the man complements the weakness of the machine. Since Agile teams will incorporate AI to make better decisions, improve the productivity of their teams, and encourage innovation, POs and SMs will still be essential in Agile teams. The management of teams to provide products effectively will stay as the key value of POs and SMs even if their roles in this human-AI partnership will be diverse. 

 

Agile frameworks have become the norm in software development and any organisation that wants to stay relevant in the current society will have to embrace the use of AI tools that support the Agile frameworks and ensure that their POs and SMs are conversant with the AI tools. With its comprehensive Agile and Scrum Certification course, Vinsys can help professionals acquire the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in this environment. 

 

This will allow them to leverage on the use of AI without losing the human touch that is so critical in Agile.  Talk to our team of experts today!

 

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