Development in times of hype: How freelancers explore Generative AI?

e rise of generative AI has led many companies to hire freelancers to harness its potential. However, this technology presents unique challenges to developers who have not previously engaged with it. Freelancers may find these challenges daunting due to the absence of organizational support and their reliance on positive client feedback. In a study involving 52 freelance developers, we identified multiple challenges associated with developing solutions based on generative AI. Freelancers oen struggle with aspects they perceive as unique to generative AI such as unpredictability of its output, the occurrence of hallucinations, and the inconsistent effort required due to trial-and-error prompting cycles. Further, the limitations of specific frameworks, such as token limits and long response times, add to the complexity. Hype-related issues, such as inflated client expectations and a rapidly evolving technological ecosystem, further exacerbate the difficulties. To address these issues, we propose Soware Engineering for Generative AI (SE4GenAI) and Hype-Induced Soware Engineering (HypeSE) as areas where the soware engineering community can provide effective guidance. is support is essential for freelancers working with generative AI and other emerging technologies. CCS CONCEPTS • Soware and its engineering → Soware creation and management; • Computing methodologies → Artificial Intelligence.