Jussi Kasurinen

Katja Karhu, Kari Smolander, Jussi Kasurinen

There has been intense debate among qualitative researchers about whether generative AI is suitable for qualitative research. In this paper, we summarize the broader ongoing discussion of generative AI in qualitative research and its implications for software engineering researchers. The qualitative research approach, small-q (positivist or post-positivist) or Big Q (non-positivist), is among the major criteria for determining whether generative AI can be used in qualitative research. In addition to research philosophy and research approach, skills, ethics, and personal preferences also play a role in researchers' decisions about whether to use AI in qualitative research.

Maryam Khan, Muhammad Azeem Akbar, Jussi Kasurinen et al.

Context: Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly influencing software engineering practice and education. While prior studies examine their technical performance and classroom use, limited research provides cost-aware and empirically grounded models for systematic institutional integration. Objective: This study develops and validates a prediction model to identify cost-efficient strategies for integrating LLMs into software engineering education using motivating and demotivating factors. Method: Based on our previously developed literature survey taxonomies [1], we operationalized 19 validated factors (9 motivators and 10 demotivators) into a structured survey completed by 126 stakeholders from multiple countries. Likert-scale responses were encoded and used to train probabilistic models (Naive Bayes and Logistic Regression) to estimate the likelihood of high LLM familiarity. The probability estimates were integrated into a Genetic Algorithm (GA)-based optimization framework to model trade-offs between predicted familiarity and implementation cost at global and category levels. Results: Respondents perceived strong benefits in Programming Assistance and Debugging Support and Personalized and Adaptive Learning. Major concerns included Plagiarism and Intellectual Property Concerns, Over-Reliance on AI in Learning, and Reduced Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. Optimization results indicate that governance-related mechanisms, particularly integrity and ethical safeguards, should be prioritized under cost constraints. Conclusions: The study introduces an optimization-informed decision support framework linking stakeholder perceptions with probabilistic modeling and cost-effort analysis. The model supports staged and cost-aware LLM integration grounded in governance stability and pedagogically meaningful development.

Katja Karhu, Jussi Kasurinen, Kari Smolander

In the software industry, artificial intelligence (AI) has been utilized more and more in software development activities. In some activities, such as coding, AI has already been an everyday tool, but in software testing activities AI it has not yet made a significant breakthrough. In this paper, the objective was to identify what kind of empirical research with industry context has been conducted on AI in software testing, as well as how AI has been adopted in software testing practice. To achieve this, we performed a systematic mapping study of recent (2020 and later) studies on AI adoption in software testing in the industry, and applied thematic analysis to identify common themes and categories, such as the real-world use cases and benefits, in the found papers. The observations suggest that AI is not yet heavily utilized in software testing, and still relatively few studies on AI adoption in software testing have been conducted in the industry context to solve real-world problems. Earlier studies indicated there was a noticeable gap between the actual use cases and actual benefits versus the expectations, which we analyzed further. While there were numerous potential use cases for AI in software testing, such as test case generation, code analysis, and intelligent test automation, the reported actual implementations and observed benefits were limited. In addition, the systematic mapping study revealed a potential problem with false positive search results in online databases when using the search string "artificial intelligence".