Software engineering-native AI models have arrived: What Windsurf’s SWE-1 means for technical decision-makers
1 min read
Summary
AI coding platform Windsurf (formerly Codeium) has launched SWE-1 (Software Engineer 1), a family of purpose-built AI models that aim to speed up the entire software engineering process.
Unlike general-purpose AI models that are used for coding, SWE-1 was designed to manage the full spectrum of software engineering activities, including using multiple tools, working with incomplete code, and maintaining context over long-running projects.
SWE-1 is available in three variants:
A full-size model for advanced reasoning and tool use.
A smaller but powerful model to replace Windsurf’s existing Cascade Base.
A lightweight model for passive code predictions in the Windsurf Tab.
The models were trained specifically on software engineering tasks and were developed using a new data model with sequential steps for training.
SWE-1 is not meant to replace foundation models but is the first step towards purpose-built models that will eventually outperform general-purpose models for specific engineering tasks.