The Impact of AI Coding Assistants on Software Engineering: A Longitudinal Study
Annie Vella; Kelly Blincoe · 2026 · ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology
WASTE classifies this as Negative / Null Result Report · AI classification, approximate
The study found no significant effect — useful as a negative control or null benchmark for your own design.
Abstract
AI coding assistants have become prolific in recent years. Through a longitudinal mixed-methods investigation, we examined how professional software engineers perceive the effects of AI coding assistants in regard to task focus, developer experience, and productivity. Two questionnaires were administered six months apart, yielding 158 eligible participants at the first time point, 101 at the second, and a matched longitudinal cohort of 95. Participants reported spending less time on most development tasks, with 82% reporting less on writing code. We found a broader shift in focus from creation
Abstract by Annie Vella; Kelly Blincoe, ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (2026) — licensed CC BY 4.0.
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Metadata source: OpenAlex · DOI 10.1145/3861343