A Preliminary Study on the Impact of AI in the Creativity and Collaboration in Software Teams
Software Engineering
Summary
The authors studied how software developers use AI tools when working in teams. They found that AI helps developers be more creative but might also reduce original ideas. Developers are relying more on AI than their teammates, which can hurt learning from each other. The teams are starting to work in new ways where humans and AI all collaborate together.
Authors
Danilo Monteiro Ribeiro, Kiev Gama, Victoria Jackson
Abstract
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools are reshaping software engineering work, increasingly acting as cognitive partners rather than purely instrumental aids. Most AI tooling remains optimized for individual use, yet software development is inherently collaborative and creative, raising open questions about how AI affects team-based work. This paper examines how software engineering professionals perceive and integrate AI tools focusing on creativity and collaboration within teams. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 software professionals from four companies, each representing a distinct team. Our analysis identifies three central themes - AI Use, Consequences of AI, and Collaboration and Team Dynamics, alongside Emotions as a cross-cutting dimension. Key findings include: AI broadens developers' creative repertoires but may narrow independent ideation; developers increasingly consult AI instead of colleagues, weakening peer learning and mentoring; and teams are developing emerging triadic collaboration patterns in which developers, colleagues, and AI reason together.