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03 · Adaptation

SE 2.0 → SE 3.0

Code-first → Intent-first engineering
Software Engineering 2.0 to 3.0ASE 2.0 · code-firstBSE 3.0 · intent-firstCode-first workInterfaceIntent-first dialogueImplements with AI assistanceHuman roleRequirements + verificationAssists traditional activitiesAI roleSearches for + implements asolutionAI-assisted practiceStatusVision + challenge roadmap

The position paper describes SE 2.0 as code-first development with AI assistance and SE 3.0 as intent-first, conversation-oriented collaboration between a human and an AI teammate.

Its supported division of strengths is deliberately narrow: humans contribute requirements and verification, while AI searches for and implements solutions. The paper does not make specifications the primary artifact or prescribe evals and contracts as mandatory quality gates.

The diagram is therefore a map of a research vision and its transition questions, not a description of an established engineering era. Add concrete practices only with separate evidence or an explicit author-hypothesis label.

How to use this model
01

Name the current mode: code-first without AI, code-first with AI, or an experimental intent-first dialogue.

02

Separate the roles: humans provide requirements and verification; AI searches for and implements solutions.

03

Treat any additional specs, evals, and contracts as testable engineering hypotheses rather than the definition of SE 3.0.

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