The impact of generative AI on creativity in software development: a research agenda
The impact of generative AI on creativity in software development: a research agenda
As GenAI becomes embedded in developer toolchains and practices, and routine code is increasingly generated, human creativity will be increasingly important for generating competitive advantage. This article uses the McLuhan tetrad alongside scenarios of how GenAI may disrupt software development more broadly, to identify potential impacts GenAI may have on creativity within software development. The impacts are discussed along with a future research agenda comprising five connected themes that consider how individual capabilities, team capabilities, the product, unintended consequences, and society can be affected.
Creativity, Foundational Models, Generative AI, Software Development
Jackson, Victoria
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Vasilescu, Bogdan
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Russo, Daniel
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Ralph, Paul
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Prikladnicki, Rafael
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Izadi, Maliheh
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D'Angelo, Sarah
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Inman, Sarah
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Andrade, Anielle
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Van Der Hoek, André
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24 May 2025
Jackson, Victoria
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Vasilescu, Bogdan
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Russo, Daniel
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Ralph, Paul
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Prikladnicki, Rafael
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Izadi, Maliheh
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D'Angelo, Sarah
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Inman, Sarah
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Andrade, Anielle
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Van Der Hoek, André
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Jackson, Victoria, Vasilescu, Bogdan, Russo, Daniel, Ralph, Paul, Prikladnicki, Rafael, Izadi, Maliheh, D'Angelo, Sarah, Inman, Sarah, Andrade, Anielle and Van Der Hoek, André
(2025)
The impact of generative AI on creativity in software development: a research agenda.
ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, 34 (5), [133].
(doi:10.1145/3708523).
Abstract
As GenAI becomes embedded in developer toolchains and practices, and routine code is increasingly generated, human creativity will be increasingly important for generating competitive advantage. This article uses the McLuhan tetrad alongside scenarios of how GenAI may disrupt software development more broadly, to identify potential impacts GenAI may have on creativity within software development. The impacts are discussed along with a future research agenda comprising five connected themes that consider how individual capabilities, team capabilities, the product, unintended consequences, and society can be affected.
Text
3708523
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 12 November 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 19 December 2024
Published date: 24 May 2025
Keywords:
Creativity, Foundational Models, Generative AI, Software Development
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 507553
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/507553
ISSN: 1049-331X
PURE UUID: eeaeb902-00f8-4cbf-bcfb-f743f71f2db6
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Date deposited: 12 Dec 2025 17:30
Last modified: 13 Dec 2025 03:10
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Contributors
Author:
Victoria Jackson
Author:
Bogdan Vasilescu
Author:
Daniel Russo
Author:
Paul Ralph
Author:
Rafael Prikladnicki
Author:
Maliheh Izadi
Author:
Sarah D'Angelo
Author:
Sarah Inman
Author:
Anielle Andrade
Author:
André Van Der Hoek
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