Patterns for Generative AI in Software Engineering ActivitiesXP 2026

MiniPLoP (GenAI Patterns)

MiniPLoPs bring together researchers, educators, and practitioners whose interests span a remarkably broad range of topics and who share an interest in exploring the power of the pattern form. MiniPLoP invites participants to add expertise to the growing corpus of patterns. MiniPLoP focuses on improving the expression of patterns.

DESCRIPTION

Gerative AI (GenAI) is rapidly reshaping software engineering practice—not only as a component of applications, but as an active participant in the software development process itself. GenAI tools are now influencing requirements elicitation, design, coding, testing, refactoring, and maintenance. Despite this rapid adoption, knowledge about how to apply GenAI effectively in software engineering remains largely ad hoc, tool-specific, and experience-driven, making it hard to generalize, evaluate, or reuse.

This workshop explores how patterns can capture and communicate emerging practices for applying Generative AI across software engineering activities. Patterns distill recurring problems and effective solutions, surface trade-offs, and make tacit knowledge explicit. In the context of GenAI—where non-determinism, rapid tool evolution, and human–AI collaboration introduce new challenges—patterns provide a way to move from isolated techniques toward shared, durable guidance.

We invite researchers and practitioners to collaboratively identify and refine patterns that describe the use of GenAI across the software lifecycle, including requirements and design, implementation and testing, DevOps and maintenance, and socio-technical concerns such as trust, oversight, and accountability.

The workshop will be run as a MiniPLoP, emphasizing active participation and structured feedback. Participants will present pattern candidates or experience reports and engage in facilitated discussions to improve pattern clarity and coherence. The goal is to advance individual pattern proposals while beginning to shape a shared pattern language for Generative AI in software engineering.

Important Dates

• Submission Deadline Friday, January 23, 2026.
• Notification to Authors: Friday, Feb 20, 2026.
• Camera-ready workshop papers: Friday, April 24, 2026.

All dates are defined as AoE (Anywhere on Earth).

Organizers

• Joseph Yoder, University of São Paulo (USP) & the Refactory, United States
• Kyle Brown, IBM, United States
• Doug Schmidt, William & Mary, USA

Call for Submissions

Generative AI (GenAI) has had a major impact on application development, and most new applications are expected to have some GenAI components. Also, Generative AI software engineering tools are beginning to have a substantial impact on software development as a whole. We want to involve the workshop attendees in exploring all of the areas in which Generative AI touches—both in software development and in the use of Generative AI. Our goal is to provide direction for future work in the area, both by the focus group organizers and participants.

Patterns are a great way to gain a new perspective on things you think you know by heart. Patterns are a way to pass on your knowledge to others in an easily understandable way. Patterns make your thoughts available to others to give you feedback. This workshop will be held as a MiniPLoP.

MiniPLoPs bring together researchers, educators, and practitioners whose interests span a remarkably broad range of topics and who share an interest in exploring the power of the pattern form.

MiniPLoP invites participants to add expertise to the growing corpus of patterns. MiniPLoP focuses on improving the expression of patterns.

Participants will have the opportunity to refine and extend their patterns or pattern ideas with the help of knowledgeable and sympathetic fellow pattern enthusiasts. They will also be able to discuss applications of patterns in industry and academia.

Techniques for Pattern Mining will also be presented.

Submission Guidelines

We invite contributions in the form of short papers (3-5 pages) of patterns or pattern ideas. This can include pattern mining ideas. Early submissions will be given feedback and workshopped. You can also submit pattern ideas that you want to discuss and present.

Writing new patterns will be part of the workshop. Submitted Papers will be discussed in a Writer’s Workshop session during the MiniPLoP workshop.

Write patterns now!

• Patterns are a great way of getting a new view on things that you think you know by heart.
• Patterns are a way to pass on your knowledge to others in an easily understandable way.
• Patterns make your thoughts available to others to give you feedback.

All submissions that are published must conform to the Springer LNBIP formatting and submission instructions. Read the instructions for authors here.

If the submission is accepted, at least one of the authors must attend the conference, as the workshop will be held in person.

All submissions must be done electronically via EasyChair by the defined deadline.

Organizers

• Joseph Yoder, University of São Paulo (USP) & the Refactory, United States
• Kyle Brown, IBM, United States
• Doug Schmidt, William & Mary, USA