The document discusses the evolution of automation in software engineering, tracing its historical progression through levels of automation defined by Dante. It outlines five levels, from no automation to full generation where tools autonomously create complete solutions based on developer descriptions. The current landscape shows a consolidation of level 2 tools and a trend towards level 3 and 4 tools, raising questions about the future of level 5 automation.

1. Software Engineering
Automation: From early tools to
Generative AI and beyond
SFSCon 2024
November 8th, 2024

2. Who am I?
2
Jorge Melegati

3. Human development is about tools

4. More evident with automation
Before the
invention of the
press by
Gutenberg, a scribe
took several
months to years to
copy a bible!

5. But automation is an evolving process…
Example: Driving
automation levels
proposed by SAE

6. Generative AI highlighted the
possibility of automating
software engineering

7. But is automating software
engineering a new thing?

8. But is automating software
engineering a new thing?
NO!

9. Historically, we can see that
automation of software
engineering has followed some
steps!

10. DAnTE
Degree of
Automation
Taxonomy for software
Engineering
Increasing
tools'
capabilities
Increasing
developers'
effort

11. Level 0 – No automation
• Total lack of supporting tools
• Developers are responsible for all

12. Level 1 – Informer
• Tools provide information but
are not able to suggest
solutions
• Developers are responsible for
all

13. Level 2 – Suggester
• Tools can provide suggestions
for modifying the
implementation
• Developers perform the tasks
but can accept suggestions
from the tool

14. Level 3 – Local generator
• Tools can generate solutions
at a restricted level such as
functions, methods, or classes
• At certain levels, developers
can describe the needs and
the tools produce one or more
solutions that can be accepted
or not

15. Level 3 – Local generator
• Tools can generate solutions
at a restricted level such as
functions, methods, or classes
• At certain levels, developers
can describe the needs and
the tools produce one or more
solutions that can be accepted
or not

16. Level 3 – Local generator
• Tools can generate solutions
at a restricted level such as
functions, methods, or classes
• At certain levels, developers
can describe the needs, and
the tools produce one or more
solutions that can be accepted
or not

17. Level 4 – Global generator
• Tools can provide complete solutions, but they should be checked
by developers
• Developers provide descriptions of the solution and check the
proposed solutions.

18. Level 5 – Full generator
• Tools can reliably create full solutions given descriptions
• Developers just describe what is expected

19. The current landscape
• Level 2 tools are consolidated and the de-facto standard

20. The current landscape
• Level 3 are trending

21. The current landscape
• Level 4 tools started being
proposed

22. Level 5?
Utopia or future?

23. Thank you!