Mapping Software-Engineering Industry AI Use to Software-Engineering Curriculum: Developing the AI-USE Framework

Abstract

Estimates predict a global deficit of 4 million software engineers by 2025, further complicated by the software engineering (SE) industry's escalating use of artificial intelligence (AI). To tackle this issue, our research suggests that computer science (CS) curricula in middle and high schools need to be updated to incorporate SE industry segments that significantly employ AI. This strategic curriculum alignment is significant for preparing a workforce equipped to meet future industry demands. Our initial analysis involved reviewing nine international AI education guidelines to evaluate current methods for integrating AI into SE education. The findings indicated a pronounced lack of specific guidance connecting AI applications in the SE industry with educational content. To address this, we performed a systematic literature review of 12 research papers focusing on AI's role across the SE industry, followed by multiple rounds of inductive content analysis. An industry segment was deemed "essential" if it was referenced in 75% or more of the papers' findings. Through this method, we identified 10 essential SE industry segments for inclusion in CS education: software development, software maintenance, process improvement, software economics, knowledge management, project management, software testing, software security, quality assurance, and deployment and operations (DevOps). These findings led to the creation of the AI-USE (Artificial Intelligence Usage in Software Engineering) framework, which maps these 10 key segments to the predominant uses of SE in the industry as identified in the literature. Further inductive content analysis helped us develop subsegments for these essential areas. Ongoing framework development involves refining these subsegments and gathering feedback from industry and academic professionals. We anticipate that the fully developed AI-USE framework will significantly enhance SE education, equipping the next generation of software engineers with the AI proficiency required to address the industry’s evolving demands.