From Delivery to Discovery in AI Projects – with Vinay Babu Tarala

Kathleen Walch speaks with Vinay Babu Tarala, Agile and AI Transformation Leader at AT&T, PMI Pearl City Hyderabad Chapter General Secretary, and author of AI Meets Agile. With passion and candor, Vinay shares how early AI project failures led him to PMI-CPMAI certification, transforming his approach to managing AI initiatives.

He illustrates how CPMAI’s structured framework reduced software development cycle times from 2.5 months to 1.5 months by embedding AI across the SDLC—from user story creation to coding and testing. Vinay emphasizes that success comes not from chasing tools, but from solving real business problems with quality data and strong governance.

You’ll gain insights on:

• Why AI projects fail without a structured methodology
• How CPMAI enables measurable outcomes and cycle-time reduction
• Why AI is probabilistic, iterative, and experimental—not deterministic “magic”
• How project managers must shift from delivery to discovery, fostering cross-functional collaboration and a common language
• Practical steps for project managers to start using AI in daily workflows

Vinay also tackles misconceptions about AI, the rise of agentic workflows, and why human creativity and critical thinking remain irreplaceable. Practical and inspiring, this episode is a must-listen for project managers, AI practitioners, and leaders ready to move beyond hype and harness AI as a transformative force in project management.