Controlled Study Measures Productivity vs Cognitive Load Across AI-Autonomy Levels

arXiv·medium signal

Four developers reimplement the same full-stack web app at increasing levels of AI autonomy while the study measures productivity, requirement adherence, and developer cognitive workload. It adds rare controlled data to the debate over how much AI autonomy actually helps versus hurts. Small-N, but one of few apples-to-apples comparisons across the AI-assisted SDLC.