XP2025
AI and Agile Software Development:
From Frustration to Success
Date: 2 June 2025, 8:30 – 17:00
Location: Brugg – Windisch, Switzerland
Venue: FHNW Campus Brugg-Windisch
Workshop description
We are excited to announce the “AI and Agile Software Development: From Frustration to Success” workshop, taking place on June 2, 2025, as part of XP 2025 in Brugg-Windisch, Switzerland. Building on the success of last year’s AI and Agile Industrial Track at XP 2024, this year’s event will focus on a dedicated research workshop.
Through four interconnected sessions, participants will dive deep into the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into Agile practices. The workshop opens with a Retrospective session, where industry leaders and academic researchers will share insights into the frustrations and obstacles they’ve faced. This is followed by the Review session, featuring short research paper presentations and lightning talks that highlight successful real-world applications of AI in Agile.
As the day progresses, the Ideation session sparks creativity and innovation, encouraging participants to envision bold new approaches inspired by cutting-edge research. The workshop culminates in the Collaborative Research Roadmap Development session, where attendees will work together to outline a visionary framework for the future of AI and Agile, producing a research paper as a key outcome.
Join us for this unique opportunity to connect with experts, exchange ideas, and shape the future of AI-enhanced Agile software development. Together, let’s transform challenges into meaningful innovation.
Detailed program
Disclaimer: For the best viewing experience, we recommend the program to be viewed on a desktop or laptop device. Mobile devices may not display the table formatting and session structure accurately.
08:30 – 09:00 | Registration and Coffee |
09:00 – 09:15 | Welcome by workshop organizers |
09:15 – 09:45 | Keynote 1: eXtreme Programming with Artificial Intelligence by Joshua Kerievsky Abstract: How do XPers use AI in the creation of software and what role does XP play in this collaboration? It turns out that if you want to craft excellent software, and you use AI, you’ll get better results if you carefully follow many of XP’s values and practices. In this talk, we’ll explore how and when XP helps us produce successful results when using AI. Bio: Joshua began his career as a professional programmer on Wall Street while still in university. In 1996, he founded Industrial Logic (http://industriallogic.com) to share the “light and magic” of software development. During the late 1990s, Industrial Logic helped pioneer lightweight software methods and today is considered one of the oldest and most well-respected agile consultancies in the world. Joshua and his global team of experts love to help people and teams leverage wisdom in software engineering and product management. He and his colleagues have helped organizations including Google, GE, John Deere, Nielsen, and Ford grow high-performance teams that deliver better software sooner. Joshua is an international speaker, and author of the bestselling and award-winning book Refactoring to Patterns, as well as his newest book, Joy of Agility. |
09:45 – 10:30 | Facilitated Networking Whether you’re a researcher, practitioner, or curious newcomer, this is your chance to connect with like-minded peers, exchange ideas, and help establish the collaborative atmosphere that will shape the rest of the workshop. |
10:30 – 11:00 | Break |
11:00 – 12:30 | Session 1: Retrospective – Frustrations and Breakthroughs in AI and Agile Software Development In this interactive World Café session, participants will rotate through small group discussions (maximum 6 people per table), each guided by a dedicated table host. Together, we’ll dive into real-world experiences at the intersection of AI and Agile – surfacing frustrations, pain points, and roadblocks, while also highlighting successful use cases and valuable lessons learned. |
12:30 – 14:00 | Lunch Break |
14:00 – 14:30 | Keynote 2: Lessons learned building an AI driven Project Management Platform by Alex Polyakov Abstract: What does it take to reimagine project management with AI at its core? In this talk, we’ll share the hard-won lessons of designing an AI-driven project management platform—what worked, what didn’t, and why it matters for the future of how teams deliver software. Bio: Alex Polyakov is a founder and CEO of ProjectSimple.ai, an AI-powered project management platform built to help software teams move faster without the chaos of traditional tools. With a background in engineering and deep roots in Agile, Alex is passionate about simplifying software delivery through smart automation, real-time metrics, and clear team visibility. He also shares insights on his YouTube channel “Let’s Talk Agile” and writes about modern dev practices, leadership, and tech trends. |
14:30 – 15:30 | Session 2: Review & Ideation – Current Successes and Future Visions for AI in Agile Software Development This session consists of a series of presentations designed to both inform and inspire. First, we explore current successes in the Review part, highlighting practical experiences and innovative frameworks that demonstrate how AI is already creating impact within Agile environments. We then move into the Ideation part, where participants will engage with forward-thinking ideas and research insights to collaboratively envision the future potential of AI-augmented Agile practices. Review Presentations:
Ideation Presentations:
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15:30 – 16:00 | Break |
16:30 – 17:30 | Session 3: Collaborative Research Roadmap Development Participants will work together to synthesize the insights from the workshop into a cohesive research roadmap.
The resulting roadmap will be a key output of the workshop, guiding future research and development in the field. |
Call and Topics of Interest
The workshop invites contributions in the form of research papers and short presentations from researchers and industry experts.
Depending on the submissions content it will be part of one of two key sessions:
- Review Session: Share real-life applications and learnings through your research papers and presentations.
- Ideation Session: Inspire cutting-edge research and use cases with your innovative ideas.
This full-day workshop, designed for 15-40 participants, begins with a keynote presentation by a distinguished AI expert, setting the tone for a deep dive into the real-world applications of AI driving innovation in Agile Software Development followed by dynamic sessions designed to bridge the gap between frustration and actionable innovation.
Within this scope, the workshop will cover themes including (but not limited to):
- DeepSeek’s Disruptive AI Models – Examining the impact of open-source AI models that challenge major tech firms.
- Agentic AI – How autonomous AI systems enhance decision-making and task execution in Agile workflows.
- Multi-Modal AI – Leveraging AI trained on text, images, and audio to improve Agile collaboration and automation.
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) – Enhancing Agile software development with more accurate and context-aware AI.
- AI in Agile Product Management – AI-driven backlog management, requirements prioritization, and customer-driven decision-making.
- AI Governance and Ethics – Addressing emerging regulatory frameworks and responsible AI adoption in Agile environments.
- Massive AI Infrastructure Investments – Examining the implications of projected $250 billion investments in AI computing power and data ecosystems.
- AI Agents for Web and Task Automation – Exploring OpenAI’s Operator and similar AI-driven tools that execute complex tasks autonomously.
- AI-Powered Software Development – How tools like GitHub Copilot, GitHub Spark, and AI-driven test generation enhance coding, refactoring, and software prototyping.
This workshop offers an unparalleled platform to network, share insights, and shape the future of AI in Agile. Whether you’re a practitioner, researcher, or technical leader, gain practical tools and contribute to a transformative research roadmap for the field. Don’t miss this opportunity to influence the future of AI in Agile development!
Submission Guidelines
We invite participants to submit the following formats:
- Research papers (up to 8 pages)
- Presentations (maximum 15 minutes, including discussion)
Submit to our workshop here: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=xp2025
Submissions should align with the workshop’s themes, offering novel research, practical case studies, industry experiences, or visionary ideas that provide value to both academic and industry audiences and will be included in the Review and Ideation sessions of the workshop.
Submission Details
- All submissions will undergo peer review.
- Submissions must adhere to the LNBIP formatting and submission guidelines. (https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-guidelines)
- Submissions should be made electronically via EasyChair by the specified deadline.
- There is no limit on the number of submissions per author, but quality should take precedence over quantity.
- Accepted submissions will require at least one author to attend the workshop in person. There will not be an option to participate virtually.
Post-Workshop Outcomes and Publications
Accepted papers and a summary of the workshop’s outcomes, including the research roadmap, will be included in the XP2025 post-conference proceedings (tentatively published in August 2025). While presentations will not be part of the proceedings, their key insights will be reflected in the workshop summary.
Additionally, a detailed article summarizing the workshop discussions and key moments, along with workshop photos, will be created and shared on the workshop website and selected social platforms (e.g., LinkedIn). This initiative aims to extend the impact of the workshop by making its insights accessible to a broader audience.
Post-Workshop Outcomes and Publications
- Paper submission: March 10, 2025 (Updated on 3.3.2025)
- Workshop paper notifications: April 1, 2025
Program Committee Members
- Anastasiia Tekalich: Research Scientist at SINTEF, Norway
- Alex Polyakov: CEO at Project Simple AI, USA
- Bettina Scherb: Product Manager, United Kingdom
- Kai-Kristen Kemell: Post Doc at Tampere University, Finland
- Karl Josef Gstettner: Innovationsmanager at AMS Austria
- Martin Eder: Agile Release Train Coach at Austrian Post, Austria
- Mikka Saari: University Teacher at Tampere University, Finland
- Viggo Tellefsen Wivestad: Research Scientist at SINTEF, Norway
- Yuliia Pieskova: Co-founder/COO at Alpha Affinity and Agile Coach at Yuliia.Co, Germany
Organizers
Pekka Abrahamsson
Professor, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, Finland.
Victoria Pichler
Agile Coach at Digital Logistics Platform, Group IT, Austrian Post
Zheying Zhang
University Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, Finland.