{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7204245310","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.24720","title":"''You Can't Open an LLM With a Screwdriver'': The De-Democratization of Software","display_name":"''You Can't Open an LLM With a Screwdriver'': The De-Democratization of Software","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-08-25","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7204245310","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.24720"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2608.24720","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.24720","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.24720","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},"volume":null,"type":"preprint","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["arxiv","datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.24720","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5007885874","display_name":"Zixuan Feng","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9163-6853","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9163-6853","https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2334-2903","https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4258-7273"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I184840846","display_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","ror":"https://ror.org/02nkdxk79","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I184840846"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Feng, Zixuan","raw_affiliation_strings":["Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond , Virginia , USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond , Virginia , USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I184840846"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5121078687","display_name":"Italo Santos","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I117965899","display_name":"University of Hawai\u02bbi at M\u0101noa","ror":"https://ror.org/01wspgy28","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I117965899"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Santos, Italo","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Hawai'i at M\u0101noa Honolulu , Hawaii , USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Hawai'i at M\u0101noa Honolulu , Hawaii , USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I117965899"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5073349866","display_name":"Kostadin Damevski","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7799-2026","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7799-2026"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I184840846","display_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","ror":"https://ror.org/02nkdxk79","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I184840846"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Damevski, Kostadin","raw_affiliation_strings":["Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond , Virginia , USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond , Virginia , USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I184840846"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5024821289","display_name":"Anita Sarma","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1859-1692","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1859-1692"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I131249849","display_name":"Oregon State University","ror":"https://ror.org/00ysfqy60","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Sarma, Anita","raw_affiliation_strings":["Oregon State University Corvallis , Oregon , USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Oregon State University Corvallis , Oregon , USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I131249849"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.7246000170707703,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.7246000170707703,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10430","display_name":"Software Engineering Techniques and Practices","score":0.2628999948501587,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10639","display_name":"Advanced Software Engineering Methodologies","score":0.00419999985024333,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/large-language-models","display_name":"large language models","score":0.7950000166893005},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ai-governance","display_name":"AI governance","score":0.5730000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-evaluation","display_name":"software evaluation","score":0.6389999985694885},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-integration","display_name":"software integration","score":0.5},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-maintenance","display_name":"software maintenance","score":0.5630000233650208},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-engineering-education","display_name":"software engineering education","score":0.5189999938011169},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/artificial-intelligence-policy","display_name":"AI policy","score":0.5849999785423279}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.7211999893188477},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105339364","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2297740","display_name":"Software deployment","level":2,"score":0.704800009727478},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6403999924659729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C186846655","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3398377","display_name":"Software construction","level":4,"score":0.5638999938964844},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.5462999939918518},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.517799973487854},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C182500959","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7551380","display_name":"Social software engineering","level":5,"score":0.45190000534057617},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C202105479","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q265013","display_name":"Software evolution","level":5,"score":0.4447999894618988},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.4350000023841858},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39890363","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36108","display_name":"Generative grammar","level":2,"score":0.3950999975204468},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137287247","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1329550","display_name":"Static program analysis","level":4,"score":0.39239999651908875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C149091818","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2429814","display_name":"Software system","level":3,"score":0.3765999972820282},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39890963","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1702721","display_name":"Personal software process","level":5,"score":0.3504999876022339},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2988963302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q629206","display_name":"Program code","level":2,"score":0.3147999942302704},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74579156","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7554342","display_name":"Software peer review","level":5,"score":0.3124000132083893},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C46110900","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11702993","display_name":"Software walkthrough","level":5,"score":0.3082999885082245},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C21491501","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q430253","display_name":"Backporting","level":5,"score":0.3000999987125397},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C52913732","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q857102","display_name":"Software design","level":4,"score":0.2921999990940094},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C54534927","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4462275","display_name":"Software requirements","level":5,"score":0.28999999165534973},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.2865999937057495},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43126263","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128751","display_name":"Source code","level":2,"score":0.2854999899864197},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.2777000069618225},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C509989072","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15188241","display_name":"Model-driven architecture","level":4,"score":0.272599995136261},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C117447612","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1412670","display_name":"Software quality","level":4,"score":0.2700999975204468},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C174683762","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q609588","display_name":"Component-based software engineering","level":4,"score":0.2667999863624573},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C44416564","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7554199","display_name":"Software Engineering Process Group","level":5,"score":0.257999986410141},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C139143892","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7441615","display_name":"Search-based software engineering","level":5,"score":0.25519999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199519371","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q942695","display_name":"Source lines of code","level":3,"score":0.2531000077724457}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2608.24720","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.24720","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.24720","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2608.24720","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.24720","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.24720","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2608.24720","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.24720","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.24720","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7204245310.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7204245310.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":9,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W2132087433","https://openalex.org/W4226307912","https://openalex.org/W4286530326","https://openalex.org/W4313477803","https://openalex.org/W4321162272","https://openalex.org/W4411233824","https://openalex.org/W4411233843","https://openalex.org/W4416394412","https://openalex.org/W7124959249"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W7090785644","https://openalex.org/W4411260058","https://openalex.org/W7167072431","https://openalex.org/W7163321909","https://openalex.org/W4399668359","https://openalex.org/W4402125354","https://openalex.org/W7092630823","https://openalex.org/W7204104144","https://openalex.org/W7215098792","https://openalex.org/W7152452462"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Claims":[0],"that":[1,15,30,129,140,181],"generative":[2],"AI":[3,92,130,159,191],"will":[4],"soon":[5],"write":[6],"all":[7],"of":[8,59,147],"the":[9,57,77,110,184,190],"code":[10,34,43,97],"have":[11,46],"led":[12],"to":[13,33,47,67,79,96,189],"predictions":[14],"programming":[16],"is":[17,151],"nearing":[18],"its":[19],"end.":[20],"In":[21],"this":[22,28,170],"vision":[23,126],"paper,":[24],"we":[25,45,55,75],"argue":[26],"against":[27],"assumption":[29],"broader":[31],"access":[32,50,95],"generation":[35],"necessarily":[36],"democratizes":[37],"software":[38,112,134,148,162,166,185],"development,":[39],"i.e.,":[40],"everyone":[41],"can":[42,182],"but":[44,137],"distinguish":[48],"between":[49],"and":[51,64,84,117,157,164,179,197],"control:":[52],"by":[53,73,172],"access,":[54],"mean":[56,76],"ability":[58],"more":[60,102],"people,":[61],"including":[62],"non-experts":[63],"less-experienced":[65],"developers,":[66],"generate":[68],"code-like":[69],"artifacts":[70,87],"with":[71,193],"AI;":[72],"control,":[74],"capacity":[78],"inspect,":[80],"evaluate,":[81],"integrate,":[82],"maintain,":[83],"govern":[85],"those":[86,105],"as":[88],"dependable":[89],"software.":[90],"While":[91],"may":[93,100],"broaden":[94],"production,":[98],"control":[99],"become":[101],"concentrated":[103],"among":[104],"who":[106],"own":[107],"or":[108],"understand":[109],"code,":[111],"practices,":[113,116],"infrastructure,":[114],"evaluation":[115],"deployment":[118],"pipelines.":[119],"Grounded":[120],"in":[121],"an":[122],"expert":[123],"panel,":[124],"our":[125],"paper":[127,171],"argues":[128],"does":[131],"not":[132],"eliminate":[133],"engineering":[135,149,186],"expertise":[136,141,150],"shifts":[138],"where":[139],"becomes":[142],"most":[143],"critical.":[144],"The":[145],"locus":[146],"shifting":[152],"toward":[153],"intent":[154],"specification:":[155],"orchestrating":[156],"governing":[158],"behavior,":[160,163],"evaluating":[161],"integrating":[165],"systems.":[167],"We":[168],"conclude":[169],"identifying":[173],"research":[174],"opportunities":[175],"for":[176],"education,":[177],"tools,":[178],"policy":[180],"help":[183],"community":[187],"respond":[188],"era":[192],"greater":[194],"agency,":[195],"accountability,":[196],"adaptability.":[198]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-11-07T11:25:07.637180","created_date":"2026-08-27T00:00:00"}