About the project
This project investigates how AI tools can augment developer creativity, while considering the potential downsides. You will be working at the intersection of human-centred AI and software engineering in delivering research with real-world impact.
Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot have revolutionized how software is built, influencing everything from requirements to debugging. While much GenAI research examines various aspects of development, such as productivity and code quality, the impact of AI on creativity, a core aspect of software development, remains underexplored. Creativity helps developers in identifying and designing novel features, architecting complex systems, and solving challenging bugs. Creativity also makes development enjoyable, satisfying, and motivating for many engineers.
This PhD project will investigate how AI tools shape creative work in software development. Key questions include:
- how can Generative AI foster creative thinking strategies such as divergent or analogical reasoning?
- how can we mitigate cognitive biases like anchoring and fixation that arise when using AI?
- how might AI support collaborative creativity in team-based development tasks?
- how do developers feel about using AI for creative tasks and its impact on their sense of self-efficacy, motivation, and job satisfaction?
The research will combine insights from Software Engineering (SE) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), using empirical studies and design interventions to understand and augment creativity in AI-assisted workflows. Outcomes will inform both academia and industry, helping organizations cultivate creativity as a core competency in the age of AI. This project is ideal if you're passionate about human-centered AI and the future of software engineering. Your research will involve engaging with industry practitioners to ensure the research is meaningful.
The School of Electronics and Computer Science is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
