Developer Well-Being in GenAI Era: Cognitive Load, Oversight Labor, and Burnout Risks

arXiv·medium signal

Survey and analysis paper examining how GenAI tools amplify cognitive load, introduce new forms of 'oversight labor' (reviewing and validating AI-generated output), and escalate expectations around output pace — contributing to stress, burnout, and diminished work-life balance for software developers. The paper argues the industry's focus on productivity metrics risks overlooking that GenAI can make developers less effective by fragmenting attention and creating a false sense of progress. Relevant signal for engineering leaders managing AI-augmented teams.