AI-powered project and portfolio management with OpenProject

AI is everywhere. Especially large language models (LLM), which are what most people mean when they talk about AI today. These models are becoming common tools at work and in everyday life. At the same time, concerns around data protection and transparency remain.

At OpenProject, we’ve been exploring this topic deeply. We recognize both the incredible potential and the valid concerns. This article gives you a first look at how OpenProject approaches AI — and what you can expect as a user.

How does OpenProject approach AI?

At OpenProject, we approach AI — or more precisely, language models — with both curiosity and caution. Our goal is clear: help users save time and reduce complexity, without compromising privacy or open source standards.

We stick to a simple principle: “A fool with a tool is still a fool.” This applies to software just as much as it does to artificial intelligence: What matters is how you use it. Or, in other words, technology only helps if it’s used responsibly. That’s why we develop AI-powered features to assist, not replace, human decision-making.

We will use language models to save our users time and hassle in their work. At the same time, we remain firmly committed to our principles: Open source standards will not be broken and data protection is our top priority.

One quick note: While we use the term “AI” in this article, we technically refer to large language models (LLMs). The distinction matters, but for clarity, we follow everyday language.

Importante

Even though we will be implementing AI/LLM features in OpenProject, the final decision will always be up to you, the user. Therefore, we want to emphasize that we will offer the option to enable or disable AI features.

OpenProject follows strict ethical AI guidelines

Human decision authority

• AI serves as decision support, never autonomous decision-making
• Transparent recommendations with clear explanations
• Human oversight required for all critical decisions
• Clear accountability chains maintained

Privacy & GDPR compliance

• Strict data isolation between projects and tenants
• Minimal data collection
• Automated data deletion routines
• Complete audit trails and documentation

Sustainability & ethics

• Energy-efficient model selection
• Ethical training data sourcing
• Regular bias testing and mitigation

Read more on our guidelines for the responsible use of AI at OpenProject (German only) on GitHub.

PMflex and PM² compliance

Our AI features are designed to align with PM² as well as with PMflex, the official German standard for strategic project and portfolio management in the public sector. This means workflows automatically follow government requirements — no manual checks needed.

Thanks to AI, OpenProject can detect risks early, before they disrupt timelines or budgets. Real-time analytics and predictive insights give public sector teams the confidence to make data-driven decisions.

At the same time, automating workflows and reporting can save up to 80% of the time normally spent on admin tasks — allowing teams to focus on strategy rather than routine.

Preview of some of the first AI features in OpenProject

Even though we cannot make any firm promises regarding the release date for AI features at this time, we would like to show you some features that we are working on intensively. Especially with the still relatively new topic of AI, we want to test all features extensively before we release them.

Nota

Some technical information: To develop AI features, we use our own OpenProject Haystack. Just like the rest of OpenProject, all source code is publicly available. Visit our Haystack GitHub to see it and learn more about the system architecture.

During a hackathon in July, we designed several AI-powered features and showcased them in a demo. Here’s a short overview of the specific AI features that we now continue working on:

• Automatically generated tips to improve your project management
• Automatically generated status reports
• AI Document features: Ask AI, Improve writing and more

Automatically generated tips to improve your project management

Some users are new to project and portfolio management and might need support. Ideally, this takes place directly in the application so that users don’t have to look up information in their handbook. Additionally, no external handbook can give you the exact information you need based on the data you already created.

This is why we created a feature to automatically display tips, specifically based on PMflex and PM² standards. But also users who are not working with these standards will benefit from this feature as some hints and are generally helpful in the area of project and portfolio management.

Here’s an example of how we implemented this feature on a demo instance:

These are the hints in the example screenshot:

• Update portfolio plan
• Complete documentation
• Add missing deadlines
• Monitor scope changes

The overview page only shows the five most relevant notes. The information includes not only missing tasks, but also notes on what has already been accomplished.

Automatically generated status reports

Creating a project status report can be very time-consuming and tedious, requiring a lot of copying and pasting. With the help of the OpenProject LLM, users save several hours of time and can focus on more important things.

The feature to generate status reports by just pressing a button is still in development, and some parts of it don’t even need AI functionality. The LLM mainly summarizes the information used in the project and creates a short text based on that.

After one minute, your project status report is created and you can adjust, save and share it with others. This is how a status report could look:

AI Document features: Ask AI, Improve writing and more

OpenProject is working on integrating familiar AI-powered writing tools directly into its editor — making it easy to translate, rephrase, check spelling, or generate first drafts without switching tools. Within the Documents module, on which we’re also currently working, the AI can also perform helpful tasks like summarizing longer texts. This streamlines your workflow and supports teams in creating high-quality content more efficiently.

Conclusion and outlook on AI features in OpenProject

“We are continuing to work on AI features with one goal in mind: more efficient, standard-compliant work with a single mouse click, even without prior knowledge of AI.” – Dominic Bräunlein, Feature lead for AI topics at OpenProject

With OpenProject, we are committed to building AI features that are not only helpful, but also ethical, secure, and transparent. We believe that language models can significantly support users in their daily work — especially in the public sector, where structured processes, compliance, and documentation are essential.

By combining AI with OpenProject’s proven project management features, we want to reduce manual effort, accelerate strategic alignment, and make professional project and portfolio management accessible to more people. Whether you’re new to project management or a seasoned expert — our goal is to support your work without replacing your judgment.

We will continue developing and testing AI features carefully, hand in hand with our Community, partners, and users. If you’re interested in trying out the first features, we’ll keep you informed through our blog and newsletter. The future of project management is intelligent, but above all: open and secure.