Generative Artificial Intelligence for Software Engineering - A Research Agenda

Anderson Santos Lorena Marques César França + 3 lainnya

1 Juni 2024

With software development increasingly reliant on innovative technologies, there is a growing interest in exploring the potential of generative AI tools to streamline processes and enhance productivity. In this scenario, this paper investigates the integration of generative AI tools within software development, focusing on understanding their uses, benefits, and challenges to software professionals, in particular, looking at aspects of productivity. Through a pilot case study involving software practitioners working in different roles, we gathered valuable experiences on the integration of generative AI tools into their daily work routines. Our findings reveal a generally positive perception of these tools in individual productivity while also highlighting the need to address identified limitations. Overall, our research sets the stage for further exploration into the evolving landscape of software development practices with the integration of generative AI tools.

Christopher Bull Ahmed Kharrufa

24 Maret 2023

The use of Generative AI in software development is gaining traction. But what are the potentials and implications on software development education? We gathered insights on the use of Generative AI from professional software developers and make some pedagogical recommendations.

Olga Petrovska Lee Clift Rebecca Pearsall + 1 lainnya

5 Januari 2024

This paper explores how Generative AI can be incorporated into software development education. We present examples of formative and summative assessments, which explore various aspects of ChatGPT, including its coding capabilities, its ability to construct arguments as well as ethical issues of using ChatGPT and similar tools in education and the workplace. Our work is inspired by the insights from surveys that show that the learners on our Degree Apprenticeship Programme have a great interest in learning about and exploiting emerging AI technology. Similarly, our industrial partners have a clear interest for their employees to be formally prepared to use GenAI in their software engineering roles. In this vein, it is proposed that embedding the use of GenAI tools in a careful and creative way - by developing assessments which encourage learners to critically evaluate AI output - can be beneficial in helping learners understand the subject material being taught without the risk of the AI tools “doing the homework”.

Jaakko Sauvola Mika Klemettinen David Doermann + 2 lainnya

11 Maret 2024

Generative AI is regarded as a major disruption to software development. Platforms, repositories, clouds, and the automation of tools and processes have been proven to improve productivity, cost, and quality. Generative AI, with its rapidly expanding capabilities, is a major step forward in this field. As a new key enabling technology, it can be used for many purposes, from creative dimensions to replacing repetitive and manual tasks. The number of opportunities increases with the capabilities of large-language models (LLMs). This has raised concerns about ethics, education, regulation, intellectual property, and even criminal activities. We analyzed the potential of generative AI and LLM technologies for future software development paths. We propose four primary scenarios, model trajectories for transitions between them, and reflect against relevant software development operations. The motivation for this research is clear: the software development industry needs new tools to understand the potential, limitations, and risks of generative AI, as well as guidelines for using it.

M. Gerosa Anita Sarma Dylan Liu + 2 lainnya

18 Desember 2023

Conversational Generative AI (convo-genAI) is revolutionizing Software Engineering (SE) as engineers and academics embrace this technology in their work. However, there is a gap in understanding the current potential and pitfalls of this technology, specifically in supporting students in SE tasks. In this work, we evaluate through a between-subjects study (N=22) the effectiveness of ChatGPT, a convo-genAI platform, in assisting students in SE tasks. Our study did not find statistical differences in participants' productivity or self-efficacy when using ChatGPT as compared to traditional resources, but we found significantly increased frustration levels. Our study also revealed 5 distinct faults arising from violations of Human-AI interaction guidelines, which led to 7 different (negative) consequences on participants.