Zombie Projects at work are killing productivity. AI can put them to rest

We’ve all been there, returning from holiday to find work stalled, decisions deferred, or projects stuck somewhere between active and cancelled. At Atlassian, we call them Zombie Projects, and these skeletons in the work closet do more than linger in a Jira backlog or Confluence page — they drain time and attention.

They’re more common (and costly) than most realize. Our research shows that 44% of workers entered 2026 weighed down by Zombie Projects, and more than 90% say they’ve caused problems.

While leaders push for AI acceleration, with nearly 9 in 10 stating their organizations must move faster than ever to keep pace, 31% of teams say resources get wasted because of Zombie Projects. Halted work consumes the same capacity needed for meaningful experimentation and implementation.

Many teams talk about AI maturity while dragging unresolved work behind them. The impact is human just as much as operational ...