{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7147163188","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.27249","title":"\"An Endless Stream of AI Slop\": The Growing Burden of AI-Assisted Software Development","display_name":"\"An Endless Stream of AI Slop\": The Growing Burden of AI-Assisted Software Development","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-28","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7147163188","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.27249"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.27249","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.27249","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.2603.27249","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5132610811","display_name":"Sebastian Baltes","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Baltes, Sebastian","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5132639835","display_name":"Marc Cheong","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cheong, Marc","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5132584078","display_name":"Christoph Treude","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Treude, Christoph","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5132610811"],"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/T11636","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education","score":0.2012999951839447,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2718","display_name":"Health Informatics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11636","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education","score":0.2012999951839447,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2718","display_name":"Health Informatics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.15219999849796295,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3311","display_name":"Safety Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.13899999856948853,"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"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/hacker","display_name":"Hacker","score":0.5697000026702881},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/documentation","display_name":"Documentation","score":0.5364000201225281},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/craft","display_name":"Craft","score":0.49869999289512634},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/workforce","display_name":"Workforce","score":0.4797999858856201},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/productivity","display_name":"Productivity","score":0.4790000021457672},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/extreme-programming","display_name":"Extreme programming","score":0.45399999618530273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-development","display_name":"Software development","score":0.4377000033855438},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/quality","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","score":0.4120999872684479},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software","display_name":"Software","score":0.4081999957561493}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86844869","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2798820","display_name":"Hacker","level":2,"score":0.5697000026702881},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56666940","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q788790","display_name":"Documentation","level":2,"score":0.5364000201225281},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779732396","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2207288","display_name":"Craft","level":2,"score":0.49869999289512634},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778139618","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13440398","display_name":"Workforce","level":2,"score":0.4797999858856201},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204983608","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2111958","display_name":"Productivity","level":2,"score":0.4790000021457672},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.4564000070095062},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C122944926","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209711","display_name":"Extreme programming","level":5,"score":0.45399999618530273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C529173508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q638608","display_name":"Software development","level":3,"score":0.4377000033855438},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.4253000020980835},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56739046","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192060","display_name":"Knowledge management","level":1,"score":0.41519999504089355},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779530757","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1207505","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.4120999872684479},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.4081999957561493},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120936955","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2155640","display_name":"Empirical research","level":2,"score":0.38839998841285706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115903868","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80993","display_name":"Software engineering","level":1,"score":0.38269999623298645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74196892","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7781188","display_name":"Thematic analysis","level":3,"score":0.3822000026702881},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C117447612","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1412670","display_name":"Software quality","level":4,"score":0.37299999594688416},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177212765","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q627335","display_name":"Workflow","level":2,"score":0.34599998593330383},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C190248442","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q839486","display_name":"Qualitative research","level":2,"score":0.3327000141143799},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C195094911","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14167904","display_name":"Process management","level":1,"score":0.329800009727478},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C126042441","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1324888","display_name":"Frame (networking)","level":2,"score":0.32589998841285706},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779968149","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8034851","display_name":"Workforce development","level":3,"score":0.3179999887943268},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C51845450","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1421651","display_name":"Team software process","level":5,"score":0.3176000118255615},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C110354214","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6314146","display_name":"Engineering management","level":1,"score":0.31040000915527344},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C148609458","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7021281","display_name":"Nexus (standard)","level":2,"score":0.3084000051021576},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776760102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5139990","display_name":"Code (set theory)","level":3,"score":0.3018999993801117},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C150292731","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1342704","display_name":"Code review","level":5,"score":0.290800005197525},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180152950","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2904257","display_name":"Software development process","level":4,"score":0.2888000011444092},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136764020","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q466","display_name":"World Wide Web","level":1,"score":0.2808000147342682},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2522767166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2374463","display_name":"Data science","level":1,"score":0.267300009727478},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144133560","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4830453","display_name":"Business","level":0,"score":0.2630000114440918},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C14185376","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30232","display_name":"Agile software development","level":2,"score":0.2583000063896179}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.27249","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.27249","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.2603.27249","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.27249","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":{"\"AI":[0],"slop\",":[1],"that":[2],"is,":[3],"low-quality":[4],"AI-generated":[5],"content,":[6],"is":[7,25],"increasingly":[8],"affecting":[9],"software":[10],"development,":[11],"from":[12,50],"generated":[13],"code":[14],"and":[15,20,33,52,75,85,88,90,98,121,131,145],"pull":[16],"requests":[17],"to":[18,35,81],"documentation":[19],"bug":[21],"reports.":[22],"However,":[23],"there":[24],"limited":[26],"empirical":[27],"research":[28],"on":[29],"how":[30],"developers":[31,129],"perceive":[32],"respond":[34],"this":[36],"phenomenon.":[37],"We":[38,125],"conducted":[39],"a":[40,56,107],"qualitative":[41],"analysis":[42],"of":[43,58,109],"1,154":[44],"posts":[45],"across":[46],"15":[47,59],"discussion":[48],"threads":[49],"Reddit":[51],"Hacker":[53],"News,":[54],"developing":[55],"codebook":[57],"codes":[60],"organized":[61],"into":[62],"three":[63],"thematic":[64],"clusters:":[65],"Review":[66],"Friction":[67],"(how":[68],"AI":[69,104],"slop":[70,105],"burdens":[71],"reviewers,":[72,119],"erodes":[73],"trust,":[74],"prompts":[76],"countermeasures),":[77],"Quality":[78],"Degradation":[79],"(damage":[80],"codebases,":[82],"knowledge":[83],"resources,":[84],"developer":[86],"competence),":[87],"Forces":[89],"Consequences":[91],"(systemic":[92],"incentives,":[93],"mandated":[94],"adoption,":[95],"craft":[96],"erosion,":[97],"workforce":[99],"disruption).":[100],"Our":[101],"findings":[102],"frame":[103],"as":[106],"tragedy":[108],"the":[110,122,127,132],"commons,":[111],"where":[112],"individual":[113],"productivity":[114],"gains":[115],"externalize":[116],"costs":[117],"onto":[118],"maintainers,":[120],"broader":[123],"community.":[124],"report":[126],"concerns":[128],"raise":[130],"mitigation":[133],"strategies":[134],"they":[135],"propose,":[136],"offering":[137],"actionable":[138],"insights":[139],"for":[140],"tool":[141],"developers,":[142],"team":[143],"leads,":[144],"educators.":[146]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-04-02T13:53:19.096889","created_date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00"}