Abstract:
What if the future of software development doesn't need architects as we know them? As GenAI infiltrates every stage of the software development lifecycle, the traditional role of the architect-meticulously designing systems from requirements to deployment is being unbundled, redefined, and partially outsourced to machines. And yet, the industry is far from ready.

This talk presents a bold vision of the AI-Augmented Architect: a hybrid thinker who doesn't write blueprints alone but designs with AI, using it not as a tool but as a creative partner, a challenger, a simulator of trade-offs. Drawing from two cutting-edge empirical studies, including a multivocal review of GenAI in software architecture and a forward-looking survey of industry leaders, we'll confront hard truths: AI is already doing architectural documentation, detecting antipatterns, and even suggesting design alternatives. But it's also hallucinating, biasing decisions, and eroding accountability.

If we don't rethink our roles, methods, and mindset, software architects risk becoming passive validators of AI output rather than strategic designers of complex systems. The good news? There is still time to adapt but only if we embrace a future where architecture is not less human, but more profoundly human because of our collaboration with machines.

Short Bio:
Davide Taibi is a LEGO® Chair and Full Professor of Software Engineering at the University of Southern Denmark. His research focuses on empirical studies in cloud-native systems, with particular attention to software architecture, technical debt, and the role of Generative AI in modern development practices.
He has published extensively on these topics and is actively involved in both academic and industrial collaborations. His recent work explores how AI is influencing architectural design and what this means for the skills and responsibilities of future software architects.