Many want to use AI and don't know what for. This guide doesn't ask about technology, it asks about your daily work: how often someone takes over an unfamiliar issue, which tasks cost time every week, whether your data may go to external services. At the end you know whether AI pays off for you, for what exactly, and what applies for data protection. The result can also be: not yet.
How often does someone on your team take over an issue whose history they don't know?
Which of these tasks cost you noticeable time every week?
Multiple answers possible.
May your project data go to external AI services like ChatGPT?
Who is going to work with it?
AI pays off for you for these tasks
For each situation you ticked, the Redmine AI Plugin has a ready-made function, usable without specialist knowledge:
- Grasp unfamiliar issues quickly: summary with one click
- Have replies drafted: AI reply in the comment field
- Status reports without spreadsheets: AI block on the dashboard
- Issues from notes and emails: Issue Assistant
- Find knowledge by meaning: AI Assistant and similar issues
Rule of thumb: AI pays off where checking is faster than doing it yourself. A summary is checked in a minute. Checking an effort estimate means estimating yourself, so AI is not suited for that. The AI makes the suggestion, you decide.
For the whole team: Then everyone needs to know when to ask the AI and when not to, and what never to enter. A short briefing is enough. It supports the AI literacy employers have had to ensure since 2025.
And data protection?
Even if that's settled for you, three points your data protection officer can verify: The AI only sees what the respective user is allowed to see. Private comments are never sent. Every use is logged with user, model and prompt. On request the AI runs on a server in the EU or on your own hardware.
Data protection first
Your data must not go to external services, or that isn't settled yet. Then no external AI service is an option, but AI still is: as local AI on a server in the EU or on your own hardware. The AI only sees what the respective user is allowed to see, private comments are never sent, every use is logged. Our article GDPR-compliant AI integration in Redmine explains what to consider legally.
AI doesn't pay off for you yet
Everyone handles their own issues, and the tasks where AI saves time hardly occur for you. Then AI causes more work than it saves, because every result has to be checked.
What is more likely to pay off for you:
- Automate routine work with fixed rules: recurring issues, reminders, assignment. Automation Plugin
- An overview without writing reports: dashboards and counter boxes.
Rule of thumb: AI pays off where checking is faster than doing it yourself. If long issue threads, customer replies or weekly reports come up later, the result will be different.
And data protection?
With fixed rules the question doesn't arise: No data leaves your system, there is no AI provider. If AI is added later, it can run on a server in the EU or on your premises.