On the Future of Software Reuse in the Era of AI Native Software Engineering

TL;DR

The paper discusses the shift towards AI-driven software reuse, highlighting its implications, challenges, and the need for a research agenda to address issues in AI native software engineering.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of AI native software reuse, analyzes its implications, and proposes a research agenda to address emerging challenges in this new paradigm.

Findings

AI-assisted reuse is replacing traditional methods

Emerging challenges include trust and quality assurance

A research agenda is proposed for future exploration

Abstract

Software development is currently under a paradigm shift in which artificial intelligence and generative software reuse are taking the center stage in software creation. Earlier opportunistic software reuse practices and organic software development methods are rapidly being replaced by "AI Native" approaches in which developers place their trust on code that has been generated by artificial intelligence. This is leading to a new form of software reuse that is conceptually not all that different from cargo cult development. In this paper we discuss the implications of AI-assisted generative software reuse, bring forth relevant questions, and define a research agenda for tackling the central issues associated with this emerging approach.