Abstract
The study examines the transition from traditional methods to the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic project management, with the aim of assessing its effects on efficiency, adaptability, and quality in higher education. Framed within a positivist paradigm and using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative surveys (n=70) and qualitative semi-structured interviews (n=21) were conducted with lecturers and university managers. Quantitative data were processed with IBM SPSS Statistics 27, while qualitative information was analysed using NVivo 14, enabling triangulation of results and strengthening the study’s validity. Findings reveal that AI integration generates significant improvements in management efficiency (p=0,002), enhances institutional adaptability, and raises the quality of project execution. Four key thematic categories were identified: impact on efficiency, improvement of adaptability, perception of quality, and implementation challenges. Additional results highlight AI’s potential for strategic institutional planning, as well as a motivational effect on academic staff performance. It is concluded that AI constitutes a positive tool for innovation and optimisation in academic management, provided it is accompanied by organisational readiness, ethical oversight, and continuous training programmes to ensure its sustainable and responsible adoption in higher education.