I’ve been a project manager long enough to see many “game-changing” technologies come and go. But what we’re experiencing right now with AI — not just in theory, but in the day-to-day work of software delivery — actually feels different.

It’s not replacing us.
It’s not magic.
But it is changing the culture of how we build things, talk about problems, and collaborate across borders.

At Glatco, we bring together U.S.-based leadership and project managers (like me) with Serbian development teams to deliver high-quality software for clients. It’s a dance we’ve learned to do— balancing time zones, languages, working styles, expectations. And now, we’ve added a third partner to that dance: AI.

AI in Real Dev Work: Not Hype — Just Helpful

There’s a big gap between how AI is portrayed in the media and how it’s actually showing up in our work. Here’s what’s really happening on our teams:

  • A mid-level developer was optimizing database queries for a client dashboard. He asked ChatGPT for a more efficient SQL structure, got a few options, tested one, tweaked it, and pushed it — all before our scheduled check-in.
  • A junior PM working on her first roadmap draft asked me for help. I had her draft the initial structure with AI. It wasn’t perfect — but it gave us something to improve and refine together.
  • I often use AI to summarize long meeting transcripts, clean up notes, or outline sprint reports — it helps me type faster, saving time and improving clarity. It turns mess into momentum.

This isn’t automation. It’s augmentation.
And it’s everywhere now — not because we pushed it, but because people started experimenting on their own.

Observation #1: AI is a confidence builder

One thing I didn’t expect: how much AI helps junior team members feel less stuck.

Sometimes, especially for junior developers, it’s just hard to ask for help in the moment — maybe you don’t want to slow the team down, or maybe you just don’t feel confident yet. AI gives people a way to test ideas, troubleshoot, and explore solutions. It doesn’t replace real mentorship or collaboration — it just fills the gap between “I’m stuck” and “I know what to ask.” For senior developers, AI is an accelerator. When used responsibly, it actually helps people keep learning, move faster, and feel more confident — while still relying on peer reviews, walkthroughs, and feedback from real humans to keep everything on track.

A junior dev told me:

“I use Copilot like a rubber duck. I test what I’m thinking. Sometimes I get it wrong, but it makes me faster at spotting the issue.”

That’s learning in action — without shame, without slowdown.

Observation #2: Culture affects how AI is adopted

One of the unexpected benefits of working with international teams is seeing how national culture influences tech adoption.

Our Serbian developers tend to be pragmatic, skeptical, and quietly innovative. They don’t jump on trends. But when a tool proves itself — they’ll adopt it quickly and silently. No ceremony.

Our U.S. project managers (myself included) are often more focused on process improvement, clarity, and repeatability. We value templates, retros, documentation. AI helps us move faster in that direction — with cleaner Jira tickets, tighter meeting summaries, and better sprint briefs.

The cultural blend is interesting:

  • The Serbian mindset challenges us to prove value.
  • The American mindset pushes us to scale that value.

AI fits between both worlds — if it earns its place.

Observation #3: The AI teammate is always available — and always biased

Let’s be honest: AI is not neutral. It reflects the assumptions in its training data, and its suggestions are only as good as the person interpreting them. Sometimes it makes up answers with confidence. Sometimes it gives us 20 lines of code when we really just needed three.

But it’s also tireless, non-judgmental, and always ready.

That makes it a new kind of teammate — one we need to manage like any other tool:

  • Don’t over-trust it.
  • Don’t under-use it.
  • Don’t let it take over your thinking.

The best results come when we treat AI like a draft partner — not a decision-maker.

Observation #4: AI is exposing weak spots — in process, not people

Here’s something I’ve noticed as a PM: when we introduce AI into the mix, the places where we don’t have clear thinking, clean logic, or good documentation become more obvious.

If the requirements are vague, the AI outputs are useless.
If our team culture is unclear, AI can reinforce bad habits.

So, in a strange way, AI is forcing us to level up our process. It’s making the invisible visible. And that’s a gift — if you’re willing to look.

Observation #5: AI is reshaping communication

One of the least talked about benefits of AI?
It’s improving our internal communication.

Not by writing emails for us. But by helping us:

  • Draft thoughts when we’re tired or overloaded
  • Reword technical ideas for non-technical audiences
  • Summarize messy input into clear action

When you’re working across languages, across roles, and across time zones — this matters.

A developer in Novi Sad and a PM in California don’t always share vocabulary or mental models. AI helps us find a middle ground faster. And that’s how you avoid dropped balls and fuzzy expectations.

Final Thought: AI Doesn’t Replace the Team. It Completes It.

There’s so much fear in the industry right now — fear of replacement, fear of irrelevance, fear of “falling behind.” I get it. I’ve felt it too.

But what I see inside real delivery teams — across Serbia, across the U.S., across projects — is not fear.
It’s curiosity.
It’s creativity.
It’s people exploring this new teammate we’ve been given.

At Glatco, we didn’t make a big announcement. We didn’t mandate AI.
We just watched it quietly enter the room — and earn its spot.

Not because it’s perfect.
Because it’s useful.

And that’s how real culture change happens.

We’re not replacing humans.
We’re removing friction.
We’re building software — together — with fewer blockers and more brainpower.

So yes: AI is changing how we work.
But it’s also reminding us what good work looks like.
Collaborative. Focused. Thoughtful. Human.

Vesna Tertei Rudinski
Project Manager at Glat.co
Advocate for Balkan tech talent, cross-cultural delivery, and human-centered project management.