Bachelor Thesis 2026
Julian Döttinger: From Coding to Collaboration: How Artificial Intelligence is redefining Software Developer
Roles
What is your bachelor’s thesis about, and why do you think this topic is important?
My thesis looks at how AI coding tools may change what companies expect from software developers. I developed a research design based on online job postings to examine whether the role is shifting from writing code toward evaluating AI output, coordinating work, and making critical judgments. I find this topic important because AI may transform jobs not only by making people faster, but also by changing which skills create value.
What is the most interesting insight or takeaway you gained from your thesis?
I started the thesis mainly thinking about productivity gains. What I found more interesting was the difference between doing the same work faster and changing the job itself. The bigger shift may be that developers spend less time on routine implementation and more time defining problems, guiding AI, and checking whether the result is correct and useful.
What advice would you give to students who are about to start their bachelor’s thesis?
Choose a topic you genuinely find interesting and shape the thesis in a direction that keeps you curious—you will spend a lot of time with it. At the same time, talk regularly with fellow students and your supervisor. Those conversations help you sharpen your ideas and avoid spending too much time on dead ends.
Timon Jurk: From Search to Purchase: How AI is transforming eCommerce through personalized
Recommendations and autonomous Shopping
What is your bachelor’s thesis about, and why do you think this topic is important?
My thesis explores how AI is reshaping the customer journey, using Perplexity Shopping as a case where much of that journey happens within a single AI-driven interface. I examine whether AI raises pre-purchase expectations, how those compare to the actual outcome, how this affects return intention, and whether disappointment is attributed to the consumer or the AI. This is important as the industry moves toward increasingly autonomous shopping agents.
What is the most interesting insight or takeaway you gained from your thesis?
The clearest takeaway is that AI's effects on shopping are ambivalent rather than uniformly positive. It improves measurable outcomes like clicks, orders, and spending, but its effects on decision quality and the consumer relationship are much less settled. Together, this leaves it unclear whether pushing toward highly autonomous, AI-mediated shopping is actually the right goal from a commercial standpoint.
What advice would you give to students who are about to start their bachelor’s thesis?
In my experience, the biggest progress usually came when I allowed myself to pursue my own creative ideas rather than sticking too rigidly to a formal template. I would encourage students to think creatively and not feel bound by the idea that everything has to follow a strict, predefined structure. I would also encourage them not to be afraid to pivot. If something isn't working, or you land on a better idea along the way, it's worth changing course rather than sticking to the original plan out of habit.
Patrick Klaus: Clicks for the Climate: AI as a Tool for Sustainable Choices
What is your bachelor’s thesis about, and why do you think this topic is important?
My bachelor's thesis explored how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) can be leveraged to promote more sustainable decision-making. I find this topic particularly fascinating because it lies at the intersection of two defining challenges of our time: addressing climate change and harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence. Understanding how these two fields can complement each other could help make sustainable choices more accessible in everyday life.
What is the most interesting insight or takeaway you gained from your thesis?
The most surprising insight was how little research has explored GenAI as a tool for encouraging more sustainable behavior. Although the technology is rapidly becoming part of our everyday lives, its potential to support sustainability has received relatively little attention. My thesis therefore aimed to contribute one possible direction for future research in this area.
What advice would you give to students who are about to start their bachelor’s thesis?
The most important part of my bachelor's thesis journey was the ideation phase at the very beginning. My advice is to invest plenty of time in defining a research question that genuinely interests you. Read widely, sketch out possible structures, don't be afraid to throw them away and start again, and actively seek feedback from supervisors and fellow students. In my experience, once you have a clear research question and a well-structured outline, the actual writing is easier than you think.