First Advisor

R. Bruce Irvin, PhD

Date of Award

Spring 6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science and University Honors

Department

Computer Science

Language

English

Subjects

Agile software development, Generative AI, Prompt engineering, Software project management, Case study, Capstone Review

Abstract

This paper examines the integration of AI language models into Agile developer workflows during a six-month software development project. Using the development of SagacityWall, a mindfulness-based social media application built by a team of eight undergraduates, it identifies three key areas in Agile processes where AI provided meaningful leverage: translating business requirements into actionable developer work tickets, accelerating framework research and technology stack decisions, and reducing onboarding friction through AI-assisted code scaffolding and Behavior-Driven Development story formatting. The study finds that AI meaningfully boosted productivity across these stages – not by replacing developer judgment, but by reducing overhead at each step of the workflow. By shifting developer focus from implementation mechanics – such as code syntax, documentation, and requirement parsing – towards higher-order business intent, AI meaningfully reduced overhead at each stage of the Agile workflow. Critically, preserving developer ownership through collective review of AI outputs was essential to maintaining task engagement and counteracting automation-related job displacement stress. Ultimately, this paper offers a practical, firsthand account of AI-augmented Agile development, and argues that structured human oversight of AI outputs is as important as the productivity gains themselves.

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