High level description

Effort and time estimation remain among the most challenging aspects of software engineering. Despite decades of research, human estimates are still often uncertain and inconsistent.
With the rise of advanced AI assistants and code-generating tools such as GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Amazon CodeWhisperer, and similar systems, new possibilities have emerged — not only for generating code, but also for supporting planning and estimation.

This thesis aims to explore whether modern AI tools can be used to estimate the time required to complete typical software development tasks, and how their estimates compare to those of experienced human developers.

Who are we looking for?

Bachelor/Master of Science in Computer Science/Engineering

Project description

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the ability of AI tools to estimate the time required for smaller software development projects, and to compare their performance with human expert estimates.

The goal is to evaluate the accuracy, consistency, and potential usefulness of AI-based estimations as decision support tools in project planning.

Purpose and Scope

In this thesis investigate these questions:

• How accurately can modern AI tools estimate the total time required for a development task, from start to delivery (including testing, documentation, and deployment)?
• How do AI-generated estimates differ from those made by experienced developers?
• How does the quality of AI estimates vary depending on the task description (e.g., level of detail, context, programming language)?
• What methods can be used to systematically evaluate the reliability and precision of AI-based time estimations?
• Can an AI system accurately estimate its own completion time — i.e., predict how long it would take itself to complete a given task?
  

An Exciting Journey with Knightec Group
Semcon and Knightec have joined forces as Knightec Group. Together, we are Northern Europe’s leading strategic partner in product and digital service development. With a unique combination of cross-functional expertise and a holistic business understanding, we help our clients realize their strategies – from idea to complete solution.

Practical Information
This is a thesis position, located at our office in Sundsvall. Start date January or March 2026.

Please submit your application as soon as possible, but no later than 2025-11-30. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact Johanna Edström. Note that due to GDPR, we only accept applications through our careers page.