Artificial Intelligence is transforming how organizations work — from automation and forecasting to decision support and project delivery.
But as AI becomes a core part of how we plan and manage projects, trust, transparency, and accountability have never been more important. That’s exactly what the EU AI Act is designed to protect.
Introduced in August 2024, the EU AI ACT is the world’s first comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence, setting out clear rules for how AI can be developed, purchased, and used within the EU.
The goal is simple but profound: to ensure that AI is safe, transparent, and under human control.
For organizations — and especially for PMOs and governance functions — the Act is more than a compliance exercise.
It marks a shift in how we think about project governance in a digital age:
from process control to principle-based leadership, where learning, ethics, and human judgment guide how AI is adopted.
The EU AI Act introduces a risk-based approach, classifying AI systems into four categories — from unacceptable risk (banned) to minimal risk (largely unregulated).
The higher the potential impact on people’s rights or safety, the stricter the requirements for oversight, documentation, and human control.
In practice, this means that AI can no longer be treated as the black box that it still seems to be for many of us.
Organizations must understand how AI systems make decisions, who is accountable, and what safeguards are in place.
For PMOs and governance functions, the Act is more than a compliance checklist — it’s an opportunity to rethink project governance through principles, not procedures.
By focusing on value, learning, and human leadership, PMOs can turn regulation into a driver of responsible innovation and lasting capability.
“The EU AI Act is more than a regulation — it’s a call for principle-based leadership.
PMOs that connect compliance with learning and trust will help their organizations turn technology into meaningful, human-centered impact.”'
— Christina Sejr Pedersen, Director, Half Double Institute
The Half Double methodology has always emphasized that impact comes through people.
AI does not change that — it reinforces it.
While technology can accelerate processes, principle-based governance ensures that purpose, ethics, and collaboration remain at the centre of every project decision.
This is the mindset the EU AI Act calls for: a balance between innovation and responsibility, guided by human judgment, transparency, and continuous learning.
