GenAI as an instant, readily available co-developer: redefining software design process for AI native hybrid work

Abstract The increasing adoption of hybrid and remote work has reshaped how software teams communicate, collaborate, and make design decisions. Our prior study showed that hybrid setups often result in missed discussions, fragmented understanding, and limited documentation of design rationale. At the same time, Generative AI (GenAI) tools–such as GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT–are becoming embedded in development workflows, providing support in code generation. While GenAI’s role in software development is gaining attention, its impact on early-stage design ideation activities and collaboration in hybrid teams remains underexplored. This paper builds on earlier findings to propose a forward-looking vision of GenAI as an instant, readily available co-developer in hybrid software design. We revisit documented challenges from our earlier study on hybrid collaboration and outline how GenAI could address these issues by facilitating asynchronous participation, surfacing undocumented rationale, and preserving design continuity. We present a conceptual framing of GenAI-supported collaboration and propose a research agenda to guide future studies on integrating GenAI into hybrid settings.