Did you know? 
Traditional PMI RACI works well for predictable projects—but AI initiatives introduce uncertainty, ethics, and continuous learning, which require an evolved model. 

 

Traditional PMI RACI – Built for Predictability 

PMI RACI clarifies roles across: 

• R – Responsible (Does the work) 

• A – Accountable (Owns the outcome) 

• C – Consulted (Provides input) 

• I – Informed (Kept updated) 

Where It Excels 

• Linear delivery (Waterfall, Agile) 

• Infrastructure and application projects 

• Stable requirements 

• Clear end states 

Where It Struggles with AI 

• Assumes outcomes are deterministic 

• Lacks explicit ownership for bias, drift, and ethics 

• Does not address post-deployment learning 

• Underrepresents governance and regulatory roles 

 

AI RACI – Built for Continuous Intelligence 

AI RACI extends PMI RACI to cover the entire AI lifecycle, from data to decisions. 

What’s Different 

• Covers probabilistic outcomes 

• Includes AI-specific roles (Data Scientist, MLOps, Ethics, AI Governance) 

• Addresses ongoing accountability after go-live 

• Explicitly manages risk, trust, and compliance 

 

Example: Hiring System 

Traditional PMI RACI 

• Responsible: Developer 

• Accountable: Project Manager 

• Consulted: HR 

• Informed: Leadership 

AI RACI 

• Responsible: Data Scientist 

• Accountable: AI Product Owner 

• Consulted: HR, Legal, Ethics Team 

• Informed: PM, Executives 

Key Difference: 
AI RACI explicitly owns fairness, explainability, and legal risk—not just delivery. 

 

Why This Matters for Leaders 

Without AI RACI: 

• Bias issues surface after deployment 

• Accountability gaps create reputational risk 

• PMs become reactive instead of proactive 

• Leadership trust in AI erodes 

With AI RACI: 

• Decisions accelerate 

• Risks are surfaced early 

• Governance becomes scalable 

• AI shifts from “experiment” to enterprise asset 

 

What Project Managers Gain 

• Clear escalation paths for AI risks 

• Better RAID logs for non-technical issues 

• Reduced stakeholder friction 

• Stronger delivery credibility 

 

Leadership Takeaway 

Traditional RACI answers “Who delivers?” 
AI RACI answers “Who owns the consequences?” 

Organizations that adopt AI RACI alongside PMI RACI are faster, safer, and more trusted in their AI journey.