[Academic] How do software professionals distinguish AI-assisted programming from programming without AI assistance? (~10-minute survey)
Researchers at Utah State University's School of Computing are conducting a study on how software professionals evaluate programming activities performed with AI assistance compared with programming activities performed without AI assistance.
Software professionals are invited to complete a short online calibration survey. Participants will rate programming activities according to how representative they are of:
- Programming performed with AI assistance
- Programming performed without AI assistance
The survey takes approximately 10 minutes.
Participation is entirely voluntary. You may discontinue participation at any time before submitting your responses without penalty or consequence. Your decision to participate or not participate will have no effect on your grades, employment, or academic standing.
Survey and informed consent form: https://usu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d70iHlfHokKVzx4
This study has been reviewed and approved by the Utah State University Institutional Review Board: IRB #16067.
Questions about the study: Dr. John Edwards, Principal Investigator — [john.edwards@usu.edu](mailto:john.edwards@usu.edu) Rubash Mali, Student Researcher — [rubash.mali@usu.edu](mailto:rubash.mali@usu.edu)
Thank you for considering participating.
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u/Agreeable-Share9059 13d ago edited 13d ago
Interesting study, especially since “AI-assisted” programming is becoming harder to distinguish from traditional workflows. I’d also be curious how researchers classify the broader category of AI assistance beyond coding for example, Guidy ai helps people navigate unfamiliar software by looking at the interface and showing them where to click step by step. It raises a similar question about where we draw the line between using AI as a tool and having AI actively guide the work.