The Role of Generative AI in Software Student CollaborAItion

TL;DR

This paper explores how generative AI can transform collaboration in computing education by envisioning future scenarios, roles, and challenges for AI integration in software development teamwork.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for understanding AI's potential roles in collaborative computing education and presents scenarios and design fictions to critically examine future possibilities.

Findings

AI can assume various roles in collaborative software development.

Scenarios demonstrate potential benefits and challenges of AI integration.

Design fictions highlight new opportunities and issues in AI-augmented collaboration.

Abstract

Collaboration is a crucial part of computing education. The increase in AI capabilities over the last couple of years is bound to profoundly affect all aspects of systems and software engineering, including collaboration. In this position paper, we consider a scenario where AI agents would be able to take on any role in collaborative processes in computing education. We outline these roles, the activities and group dynamics that software development currently include, and discuss if and in what way AI could facilitate these roles and activities. The goal of our work is to envision and critically examine potential futures. We present scenarios suggesting how AI can be integrated into existing collaborations. These are contrasted by design fictions that help demonstrate the new possibilities and challenges for computing education in the AI era.