Take It, Leave It, or Fix It: Measuring Productivity and Trust in Human-AI Collaboration

Although recent developments in generative AI have greatly enhanced the capabilities of conversational agents such as Google's Bard or OpenAI's ChatGPT, it's unclear whether the usage of these agents aids users across various contexts. To better understand how access to conversational AI affects productivity and trust, we conducted a mixed-methods, task-based user study, observing 76 software engineers (N=76) as they completed a programming exam with and without access to Bard. Effects on performance, efficiency, satisfaction, and trust vary depending on user expertise, question type (open-ended "solve" questions vs. definitive "search" questions), and measurement type (demonstrated vs. self-reported). Our findings include evidence of automation complacency, increased reliance on the AI over the course of the task, and increased performance for novices on “solve”-type questions when using the AI. We discuss common behaviors, design recommendations, and impact considerations to improve collaborations with conversational AI.