How AI Could Potentially Redefine Agile Dynamics

The rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries while also challenging the principles of Agile and software development. Agile should evolve to integrate AI seamlessly while amplifying human creativity, empathy, and ethical oversight.

It is becoming an integral part of our working habits, actually demanding a profound shift in roles, team structures, and processes.
Part of this evolution can be explained through two collaborative paradigms between humans and AI: the Centaur and Cyborg methods.

The Centaur method, inspired by the mythological creature, represents a hybrid approach where human and AI tasks are clearly delineated and distinct. Humans handle strategic elements, while AI manages specific, predefined tasks, maintaining a well-defined division of labor.
In contrast, the Cyborg method embodies a seamless integration of human and AI efforts, with both working in tandem, iteratively feeding each other, throughout the process: human intuition and machine computation complement each other within blurred borders.

In September 2023 I gave a speech at #TAC23 “Agility and Generative AI: friends or foes?“. On that occasion, I emphasized the remarkable capacity of companies, individuals (and Agilists) to quickly adapt to the new situation Covid created and that we should have been prepared for a biggest change represented by AI.
Here the video and the presentation.

The big change has arrived and still we are reasoning on the effects.

Being inspired by Henrik Kniberg’s and Agile Alliance’s articles, we try to get a bit deeper in understanding how the working habits of Agile Delivery Teams developing Software, could change in the upcoming “years”. Here the links:

If I had to estimate, it would be at least a tenfold increase in coding productivity. Tasks that used to take days can now take hours, and those that took hours can now take minutes – Henrik Kniberg

The transformative potential is enormous. Let’s evaluate the future of Agile through two critical lenses: The New Dynamics of Agile and AI and The Indispensable Value of Human Capabilities. From now on we do write by using present tense, even if that is still not (yet or completely) the reality.

The New Dynamics of Agile and AI

The integration of AI into Agile processes is redefining the foundational principles of team dynamics, workflows, and productivity. These changes force a reevaluation of roles, team structures, and processes to unlock AI’s full potential. Here are some critical reflections on the transformations reshaping the Agile landscape in the AI era.

Roles

Developers left majority of coding to AI. They are transitioning into “mini-product owners,” focusing on defining small requirements, overseeing architecture, ensuring quality, and validating AI-driven outputs. They should be expert about Prompt Engineering to enable effective interactions with AI to maximize its potential.
Product Owners finally focus more on strategy and stakeholder management, frequently updating the backlog with the active support of AI to align with (very frequently) evolving goals.
Scrum Masters have 2 options:

They are evolving into coaches, assisting teams in integrating AI into their workflows and looking at the dynamics of the whole system.
They dedicate themselves to delivery duties and enhancing process efficiency throughout the software development cycle, now totally augmented by AI.

Team Structures and Organization

AI is enabling smaller teams (2-3 members plus AI), probably a bit more specialized in specific functional or technical areas.
This shift reduces the need for extensive internal coordination but increases the importance of cross-team collaboration, particularly in large-scale projects. To address this, lightweight synchronization mechanisms are needed that leverage the convergence-divergence approach, such as strategic planning sessions followed by team planning or cross-team retrospectives to ensure alignment and cohesion.

Iteration Cadence and Duration

AI’s capabilities and smaller teams will force shorter development cycles (one-day iterations?), de facto replacing traditional sprint cadences. Planning is shifting from focusing on granular backlog details – which are best managed by AI – to emphasizing broader strategic vision and direction.
The accelerated development speed offered by AI enhances feedback loops, enabling quicker customers interactions and overall better-quality of products.

AI’s Role in Agile

AI is becoming an active member of Agile teams: it writes code, generates pull requests, contributes to design, etc..

It automates several repetitive tasks, easing bottlenecks that are usual in software development.

Interestingly, it will be of great help also on the “business side”.
It will be capable o providing faster feedback thanks to the creation of mock user scenarios to be used for testing and validating purposes, which evolve incrementally – and automatically thanks to AI – as the product grows in terms of functionalities.

Additionally Product Owners will systematically use LLMs for backlog creation and maintenance (see my previous post Enhance Coaching: Agile Requirements Simulator with ChatGPT).

The Indispensable Value of Human Capabilities

While AI accelerates processes and automates tasks, the human element remains the core element of the equation.
Creativity, empathy, and ethical oversight ensure that technology is being used for meaningful purposes.

Interpersonal and Team Skills

Strong collaboration and communication skills remain essential in an AI-driven environment. Teams must continue to foster trust, effective communication, and knowledge sharing to create a positive and productive work atmosphere.
Managing group dynamics is vital to maintaining team cohesion and ensuring successful collaboration, even as team structures evolve.

Coaches play a pivotal role in supporting these efforts.

Cognitive and Strategic Abilities

Human creativity and innovation are obviously irreplaceable, as they are fundamental for defining problems, designing solutions, and steering AI toward healthy and meaningful goals.

Strategic thinking and decision-making acquire greater importance: roles like Product Owners have increased responsibilities because they are less involved to details and must now prioritize impactful outcomes.
Additionally, we should not forget the ability to critically – and ethically – evaluate AI-generated results to ensure quality, total alignment with product objectives and, last but not least, absence of any biases.

Adaptability and Empathy

Continuous learning is crucial for staying competitive in an AI-powered world. Team members must acquire new skills, on a steady pace, such (e.g. prompt engineering effective collaboration with AI, etc.).

In this century, there is less need to know things and more need to make things. In the 21st century, there is little value in knowing how to use a tool: tools emerge and disappear faster and continuously. <

In this century, there is less need to know things; but more need to make things. This century is for creative workers.
The ones who invest their time in experimentation and practice, while continuously updating and replacing their knowledge. – Jurgen Appelo

Empathy remains a uniquely human strength, allowing teams to deeply understand user needs and build meaningful connections, which are critical for creating successful products.

Ethics and Responsibility

Humans are responsible for guiding AI integration with a strong focus on ethical principles. Addressing ,without underestimating, issues like bias, transparency, and the quality of data ensures that AI is used responsibly and aligns with societal values.

Conclusions

Agile and software development landscapes are being transformed, opening to opportunities for productivity amplification, processes optimization, roles redefining for more strategic duties.
This shift does not diminish at all the importance of human ingenuity, collaboration, and ethics, however it strengthen it even more.

P.S. To Agile Coaches

Our role is being challenged, but aren’t we the ones encouraging others to embrace change? Well, now it’s our turn.

Yet, let’s remain faithful and concentrated: our impact remains more critical now than ever. As teams navigate this “new future”, our ability to guide, mentor, and inspire them will define the success of Agile practices in an AI-driven world.

We’ll evolve into architects of human-augmented systems, where the principles of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement will be more than ever necessary. Our expertise in fostering psychological safety and guiding cultural shifts will be indispensable as roles change and new dynamics emerge.

Come on guys, let’s jump into water!

Content: Human-Generated + AI Processing