AI-Augmented Scheduling

One-Minute AI News Brief

• Microsoft at Build 2025 launched GitHub Copilot Agent, turning Copilot into an autonomous peer programmer for bug fixes, feature development, and code maintenance, alongside a vision for an “open agentic web.”

• Google I/O 2025 unveiled Gemini 2.5 Pro’s Deep Think mode, the new AI Mode in Search for chat-based queries, Veo 3 (AI video) & Imagen 4 (image generation), and Android XR, embedding advanced AI across all Google products.

Implementation Guide: 5-Step AI-Powered Scheduling Workflow

This workflow serves as a starting point for PMs to leverage core competencies. It uses Gemini for analysis and generation, and Perplexity for research and synthesis. Customize prompts as needed to optimize results.

Step 1: Establish Realistic Baselines with AI Benchmarking

• PM Goal: Understand industry-standard timelines for similar projects to set realistic expectations from the outset.

• Use Perplexity Deep Research for benchmarking research. Upload necessary documents or modify the prompt to add context:

Act as a seasoned project management consultant. Research and provide average project timelines, including common phases and typical buffer percentages, for a [describe your project type, e.g., 'new enterprise software implementation'] in the [specific industry, e.g., 'healthcaresector']. I need realistic benchmarks to help set initial stakeholder expectations.

Step 2: Uncover Dependencies and Critical Path Intelligently

• PM Goal: Quickly identify how tasks connect and which ones are crucial for on-time delivery.

• Navigate to Gemini. Paste the results from step 1 for context if needed. Prompt Gemini 2.5 Pro:

You are a PMP-certified project manager. Based on this list of project tasks: [Paste your list of project tasks, e.g., '1. Stakeholder Interviews, 2. Requirements Gathering, 3. UX Design Mockups, 4. Development Sprint 1...']. Identify the critical path and list key task dependencies. Briefly explain your reasoning for these dependencies based on standard project management principles. I need this information to build our initial project schedule and Gantt chart.

Step 3: Enhance Duration Estimates

• PM Goal: Move beyond gut-feel estimates to data-informed duration planning.

• Continue on in Gemini and make sure to turn on Canvas option, then paste this prompt:

For the following project tasks: [Paste your task list again]. Please provide duration estimates using a three-point estimation approach:

Optimistic estimate (best-case scenario if everything goes perfectly)

Most likely estimate (your realistic assessment under normal conditions)

Pessimistic estimate (worst-case scenario if significant issues arise)
For each task, also suggest a practical risk buffer (e.g., in days or percentage) and briefly explain the reasoning behind the suggested buffer size, considering common project risks.

Step 4: Optimize Resource Allocation

• PM Goal: Assign tasks effectively, leveraging team skills while respecting capacity.

• Upload your team profile document or manually edit the below prompt:

We need to assign the following project tasks: [Paste task list]. Our team consists of:

[Team Member A: primary skills (e.g., UX Design, Prototyping), weekly availability (e.g., 30 hours)]

[Team Member B: primary skills (e.g., Backend Development, API Integration), weekly availability (e.g., 40 hours)]

[Add other team members similarly]
Please propose a task assignment plan that best utilizes each team member's primary skills and respects their stated weekly availability. Highlight any tasks that might be challenging to assign with the current team or could create workload bottlenecks.

Step 5: Strategize Proactive Delay Mitigation

• PM Goal: Quickly develop actionable recovery plans when delays occur.

• Go to Perplexity for research using this prompt:

Research common and effective recovery strategies used in the [your industry, e.., 'digital marketing sector'] when a critical project task like [describe the delayed task, e.g., 'final client ad creative approval'] is behind schedule by [duration, e.g., 'three business days']. Focus on strategies that typically do not involve increasing the overall project budget or adding new team members.

• Paste Perplexity’s outputs (as context) onto Gemini for your strategy development query:

Our project task '[Name of delayed task]' is currently [duration] behind schedule. Considering these potential recovery strategies I found: [Paste key strategies from Perplexity's output], and our project constraints (e.g., budget is fixed, no new hires, upcoming critical deadline for [next milestone]), develop three distinct, actionable mitigation plans for our team to get back on track. For each plan, briefly note the potential pros and cons.