Tue 3 Sep 2024 12:10 - 12:25 at LT1 - Session 1: AI-Assisted Development Chair(s): Stefan Sauer

The increasing use of large language model (LLM)-powered code generation tools, such as GitHub Copilot, is transforming software engineering practices. This paper investigates how developers validate and repair code generated by Copilot and examines the impact of code provenance awareness during these processes. We conducted a lab study with 28 participants tasked with validating and repairing Copilot-generated code in three software projects. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: one informed about the provenance of LLM-generated code and the other not. We collected data on IDE interactions, eye-tracking, cognitive workload assessments, and conducted semi-structured interviews. Our results indicate that, without explicit information, developers often fail to identify the LLM origin of the code. Developers exhibit LLM-specific behaviors such as frequent switching between code and comments, different attentional focus, and a tendency to delete and rewrite code. Being aware of the code’s provenance led to improved performance, increased search efforts, more frequent Copilot usage, and higher cognitive workload. These findings enhance our understanding of developer interactions with LLM-generated code and inform the design of tools for effective human-LLM collaboration in software development.

Tue 3 Sep

Displayed time zone: London change

11:00 - 12:30
Session 1: AI-Assisted DevelopmentResearch Papers at LT1
Chair(s): Stefan Sauer Paderborn University
11:00
20m
Talk
Let’s Fix this Together: Conversational Debugging with GitHub Copilot
Research Papers
Yasharth Bajpai Microsoft, Bhavya Chopra Microsoft, Param Biyani Microsoft, Cagri Aslan Microsoft, Dustin Coleman Microsoft, Sumit Gulwani Microsoft, Chris Parnin Microsoft, Arjun Radhakrishna Microsoft, Gustavo Soares Microsoft
11:20
20m
Talk
BISCUIT: Scaffolding LLM-Generated Code with Ephemeral UIs in Computational Notebooks
Research Papers
11:40
15m
Short-paper
Leveraging Visual Languages to Foster User Participation in Designing Trustworthy Machine Learning Systems: A Comparative Study
Research Papers
Serena Versino University of Pisa, Tommaso Turchi University of Pisa, Alessio Malizia Brunel University
11:55
15m
Short-paper
Harnessing the Power of LLMs to Simplify Security: LLM Summarization for Human-Centric DAST Reports
Research Papers
Arpit Thool Virginia Tech, USA, Chris Brown Virginia Tech
12:10
15m
Short-paper
A Study on Developer Behaviors for Validating and Repairing LLM-Generated Code Using Eye Tracking and IDE Actions
Research Papers
Ningzhi Tang University of Notre Dame, Meng Chen , Zheng Ning University of Notre Dame, Aakash Bansal University of Notre Dame, Yu Huang Vanderbilt University, Collin McMillan University of Notre Dame, Toby Jia-Jun Li University of Notre Dame
Link to publication Pre-print