This project aims to explore how software practitioners imagine and feel about different possible futures of working with artificial intelligence (AI) in software engineering.

As AI tools evolve from simple support systems to increasingly autonomous collaborators and agents, we seek to understand which forms of human-AI collaboration practitioners consider most likely, desirable, and concerning. The study also examines how these potential futures may influence software practitioners’ roles, workflows, sense of control, and emotional responses, providing insights into the opportunities, challenges, and tensions shaping the future of software development work.