AI speeds up code writing but slows code review
A recent Harvard study across multiple software firms finds that while AI coding agents boost code production by 20-30%, they do not lead to more finished software. The time taken for human code review increases by around 49% after the introduction of AI tools, with more reviewers and comments per pull request. Most companies now use some form of AI agents, but humans still do most code review work.
- AI boosts code production by up to 30%
- Code review times increase 49% with AI tools
- More employees are involved in review post-AI
- AI handles only a minority of review tasks
- No significant change in completed software
Sources covering this
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