Software Engineering in the Age of AI
Agent-based AI redefines collaboration between business units and software development
The German Informatics Society (GI), largest professional association for computer science in the German-speaking world, issued a policy brief on July 9 outlining recommendations for action to strengthen software engineering in the age of AI as a key resource for Germany’s technological innovation. The FZI also anticipates that agent-based AI will have a major impact on collaboration between academic departments and software development.
The German Informatics Society (GI) and its “Software-defined Germany” initiative address a central point: Software is no longer merely a technical tool, but rather a strategic foundation for value creation, innovation, and digital sovereignty. With the emergence of generative and agent-based AI, this role is once again undergoing a fundamental transformation.
Software engineering as a key competency and key technology
According to the GI, over 80 percent of German companies feel dependent on non-European software and AI platforms, which poses significant risks to IT security and economic autonomy. The unregulated use of AI-generated code also carries risks such as structural errors, security vulnerabilities, and unresolved copyright issues. AI is fundamentally changing how software is developed, tested, and operated.
In its policy brief, the GI makes the following recommendations, among others, to strengthen the discipline of software engineering as a key competency and key technology in Germany:
- the nationwide establishment and sustainable funding of centers of excellence for AI-based software engineering as platforms for research, industrial pilot projects, certification, and tool development
- trust infrastructures, as well as the consistent further development and enforcement of standards for secure, privacy-preserving, traceable, and auditable AI-generated and AI-based software
- an interministerial flagship initiative for AI-based software engineering (AI4SE) and software engineering for AI-based systems (SE4AI) that closely integrates research, industrial implementation, standardization, education, training, and technology transfer
Shifting interface between the academic department and IT
AI agents will not only accelerate software development; they will also change the way business users collaborate with software development teams. In the future, a traditional software project will not be set up for every problem right from the start. Many tasks will be solved directly by agents, guided iteratively by domain expertise, and converted into permanent software only where scaling, quality assurance, security, and maintainability require it.
This shifts the interface between business units and IT: domain expertise, process understanding, and agent-based problem-solving are converging. This is precisely why proficiency in working with AI agents must not be limited to software developers. Managers, product owners, and business users must also understand which tasks can be solved using agents, where risks arise, and how results can be verified and used securely and responsibly.
“Which tasks can universal AI agents handle, and which ones will continue to require dedicated software solutions? This question will shape the future of software engineering and transform the way business departments and software development teams collaborate.”
Oliver Denninger, Division Manager Software Engineering at the FZI
Upcoming Workshops on agent-based AI
The FZI supports organizations with workshops and training sessions on agent-based problem-solving and AI-supported software development. The goal is not only to tap into productivity potential, but also to shape a new form of collaboration between business units and software development. This is precisely what constitutes a key prerequisite for a truly software-defined Germany.
- July 15, 2026: Agentic Coding Workshop
- October 1, 2026: Workshop as part of the FZI “Tag der KI”
- November 10, 2026: EDIH AICS Workshop during the „AI Month“ (More details soon)
About the FZI
The FZI Research Center for Information Technology, with headquarters in Karlsruhe and a branch office in Berlin, is a non-profit institution for information technology application research and technology transfer. It delivers the latest scientific findings in information technology to companies and public institutions and qualifies individuals for academic and business careers or the leap into self-employment. Supervised by professors from various faculties, the research groups at the FZI develop interdisciplinary concepts, software, hardware and system solutions for their clients and implement the solutions found as prototypes. The FZI House of Living Labs provides a unique research environment for application research. The FZI is an innovation partner of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and strategic partner of the German Informatics Society (GI).