cs.SEMar 11, 2026

Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Innovation in Software Engineering

Authors: Carlos Alberto Fernández-y-Fernández, Jorge R. Aguilar-Cisneros

Organizations: Universidad Tecnológica de la Mixteca Oaxaca, México · Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación (SECIHTI-Puebla) & UPAEP University, Puebla, Pue., México

Abstract

The rapid evolution and inherent complexity of modern software requirements demand highly flexible and responsive development methodologies. While Agile frameworks have become the industry standard for prioritizing iteration, collaboration, and adaptability, software development teams continue to face persistent challenges in managing constantly evolving requirements and maintaining product quality under tight deadlines. This article explores the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Software Engineering (SE), to analyze how AI serves as a powerful catalyst for enhancing agility and fostering innovation. The research combines a comprehensive review of existing literature with an empirical study, utilizing a survey directed at Software Engineering professionals to assess the perception, adoption, and impact of AI-driven tools. Key findings reveal that the integration of AI (specifically through Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) )facilitates the automation of tedious tasks, from requirement management to code generation and testing . This paper demonstrates that AI not only optimizes current Agile practices but also introduces new capabilities essential for sustaining quality, speed, and innovation in the future landscape of software development.

Explore similar work

May 8, 2026

The AI-Native Large-Scale Agile Software Development Manifesto

Despite the widespread adoption of agile methods, achieving true agility at scale remains elusive. Large-scale agile frameworks remain largely human-centric and manual, relying on coordination meetings, artifact synchronization, and role-based handoffs that inhibit real-time adaptation. Meanwhile, rapid advances in AI, particularly large language models, have begun transforming software engineering, yet their potential for organizational-level agility remains underexplored. We present the AI-Native Large-Scale Agile Software Development Manifesto: a set of values and principles that redefine how large-scale software development is organized when AI becomes a first-class participant rather than a peripheral tool. The manifesto is grounded in six principles, parallel processes, intent-driven teams, living knowledge, verification-first assurance, orchestrated agent workforces, and reusable blueprints, that together shift development from a meeting-driven, document-heavy, sequential process to an intelligent, adaptive, continuously learning system.
Apr 22, 2026

Shift-Up: A Framework for Software Engineering Guardrails in AI-native Software Development -- Initial Findings

Generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping software engineering by shifting development from manual coding toward agent-driven implementation. While vibe coding promises rapid prototyping, it often suffers from architectural drift, limited traceability, and reduced maintainability. Applying the design science research (DSR) methodology, this paper proposes Shift-Up, a framework that reinterprets established software engineering practices, like executable requirements (BDD), architectural modeling (C4), and architecture decision records (ADRs), as structural guardrails for GenAI-native development. Preliminary findings from our exploratory evaluation compare unstructured vibe coding, structured prompt engineering, and the Shift-Up approach in the development of a web application. These findings indicate that embedding machine-readable requirements and architectural artifacts stabilizes agent behavior, reduces implementation drift, and shifts human effort toward higher-level design and validation activities. The results suggest that traditional software engineering artifacts can serve as effective control mechanisms in AI-assisted development.
Sep 25, 2026

Developing a Roadmap to an AI-first Organization: A Case Study in Embedded Software Development

The emergence of AI agents is expected to reshape software engineering by moving beyond AI as assistants towards systems capable of planning, executing, and evaluating development tasks with increasing autonomy. This transition is particularly significant for embedded software organizations, where strict requirements for quality, traceability, verification, and long-term maintainability often apply. This paper presents a case study of a large embedded systems company and its transition toward becoming an AI-first organization. Through a mixed method, we analyzed data collected from a semi-structured workshop with 40 participants, including scrum masters, architects, management, and product owners. The findings show that the participants expect agentic AI to affect team structure, required competencies, organizational strategies, and developers' roles within the organization. Based on these findings, the paper discusses implications for federated AI team formation, human-in-the-loop practices in such an organization, and the sustainable adoption of AI agents in embedded software engineering. We also present a concrete roadmap for the organization towards becoming an AI-first organization.