A Preliminary Study on the Impact of AI in the Creativity and Collaboration in Software Teams
TL;DR
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.
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.