{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7138218184","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723","title":"Do AI Agents Really Improve Code Readability?","display_name":"Do AI Agents Really Improve Code Readability?","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-14","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7138218184","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129678441","display_name":"Kyogo Horikawa","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Horikawa, Kyogo","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5036008982","display_name":"Kosei Horikawa","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Horikawa, Kosei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5036526364","display_name":"Yutaro Kashiwa","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9633-7577"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kashiwa, Yutaro","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5013633970","display_name":"Hidetake Uwano","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Uwano, Hidetake","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5055973723","display_name":"Hajimu Iida","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2919-6620"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Iida, Hajimu","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":5,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.8184000253677368,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.8184000253677368,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13629","display_name":"Text Readability and Simplification","score":0.07840000092983246,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.009600000455975533,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code-refactoring","display_name":"Code refactoring","score":0.9728000164031982},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/readability","display_name":"Readability","score":0.8409000039100647},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/maintainability","display_name":"Maintainability","score":0.6358000040054321},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/code","display_name":"Code (set theory)","score":0.5680999755859375},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/documentation","display_name":"Documentation","score":0.5429999828338623},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/quality","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","score":0.4927000105381012},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cyclomatic-complexity","display_name":"Cyclomatic complexity","score":0.4632999897003174},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/abstract-syntax-tree","display_name":"Abstract syntax tree","score":0.44510000944137573}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C152752567","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q116877","display_name":"Code refactoring","level":3,"score":0.9728000164031982},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778143727","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1820650","display_name":"Readability","level":2,"score":0.8409000039100647},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7495999932289124},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C160713754","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1389965","display_name":"Maintainability","level":2,"score":0.6358000040054321},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.5680999755859375},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56666940","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q788790","display_name":"Documentation","level":2,"score":0.5429999828338623},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.527999997138977},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.5127999782562256},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779530757","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1207505","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.4927000105381012},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C187303228","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q867330","display_name":"Cyclomatic complexity","level":3,"score":0.4632999897003174},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C58646249","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127380","display_name":"Abstract syntax tree","level":3,"score":0.44510000944137573},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43126263","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q128751","display_name":"Source code","level":2,"score":0.44440001249313354},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.4406999945640564},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.421099990606308},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C117447612","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1412670","display_name":"Software quality","level":4,"score":0.3808000087738037},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C60048249","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37437","display_name":"Syntax","level":2,"score":0.37709999084472656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124304363","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q673661","display_name":"Abstraction","level":2,"score":0.34040001034736633},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C114408938","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q333373","display_name":"Abstract syntax","level":3,"score":0.3095000088214874},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777561058","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2652119","display_name":"Program comprehension","level":4,"score":0.3050999939441681},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137287247","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1329550","display_name":"Static program analysis","level":4,"score":0.3046000003814697},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C101317890","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q940053","display_name":"Software maintenance","level":4,"score":0.30140000581741333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133237599","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2295111","display_name":"Code smell","level":5,"score":0.2904999852180481},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780428219","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16952335","display_name":"Cover (algebra)","level":2,"score":0.2655999958515167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.2639999985694885}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.13723","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Code":[0],"readability":[1,10,87,116],"is":[2],"fundamental":[3],"to":[4,19,79,157],"software":[5],"quality":[6,164],"and":[7,17,50,71,112,119,142],"maintainability.":[8],"Poor":[9],"extends":[11],"development":[12],"time,":[13],"increases":[14],"bug-inducing":[15],"risks,":[16],"contributes":[18],"technical":[20],"debt.":[21],"With":[22],"the":[23,77,93,109,166],"rapid":[24],"advancement":[25],"of":[26,43,66,95,172],"Large":[27],"Language":[28],"Models,":[29],"AI":[30,59,81,96,135],"agent-based":[31,82,97],"approaches":[32],"have":[33,55],"emerged":[34],"as":[35],"a":[36,75],"promising":[37],"paradigm":[38],"for":[39],"automated":[40],"refactoring,":[41,67],"capable":[42],"decomposing":[44],"complex":[45],"tasks":[46],"through":[47],"autonomous":[48],"planning":[49],"execution.":[51],"While":[52],"prior":[53],"studies":[54],"examined":[56],"refactoring":[57,83,98],"by":[58],"agents,":[60],"these":[61],"analyses":[62],"cover":[63],"all":[64],"forms":[65],"including":[68],"performance":[69],"optimization":[70],"structural":[72],"improvement.":[73],"As":[74],"result,":[76],"extent":[78],"which":[80],"specifically":[84],"improves":[85],"code":[86,100],"remains":[88],"unclear.":[89],"This":[90],"study":[91],"investigates":[92],"impact":[94],"on":[99],"readability.":[101],"We":[102],"extracted":[103],"commits":[104,125,160],"containing":[105],"readability-related":[106],"keywords":[107],"from":[108],"AIDev":[110],"dataset":[111],"analyzed":[113],"changes":[114],"in":[115,170,178],"metrics":[117],"before":[118],"after":[120],"each":[121],"commit,":[122],"covering":[123],"403":[124],"evaluated":[126],"using":[127],"multiple":[128],"quantitative":[129],"metrics.":[130],"Our":[131],"results":[132],"indicate":[133],"that":[134],"agents":[136],"primarily":[137],"target":[138],"logic":[139],"complexity":[140],"(42.4%)":[141],"documentation":[143],"improvements":[144],"(24.2%)":[145],"rather":[146],"than":[147],"surface-level":[148],"aspects":[149],"like":[150],"naming":[151],"conventions":[152],"or":[153],"formatting.":[154],"However,":[155],"contrary":[156],"expectations,":[158],"readability-focused":[159],"often":[161],"degraded":[162],"traditional":[163],"metrics:":[165],"Maintainability":[167],"Index":[168],"decreased":[169],"56.1%":[171],"commits,":[173],"while":[174],"Cyclomatic":[175],"Complexity":[176],"increased":[177],"42.7%.":[179]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-06-11T09:08:48.828518","created_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00"}