Beyond Code: The Multidimensional Impacts of Large Language Models in Software Development

TL;DR

This paper empirically investigates how large language models like ChatGPT influence open-source software development, revealing productivity, knowledge sharing, and skill gains that vary by developer experience and context.

Contribution

It provides the first empirical evidence of LLMs' multidimensional impacts on OSS developers using a natural experiment and Difference-in-Differences analysis.

Findings

Access to ChatGPT increases productivity by 6.4%.

Knowledge sharing improves by 9.6%.

Skill acquisition rises by 8.4%.

Abstract

Large language models (LLMs) are poised to significantly impact software development, especially in the Open-Source Software (OSS) sector. To understand this impact, we first outline the mechanisms through which LLMs may influence OSS through code development, collaborative knowledge transfer, and skill development. We then empirically examine how LLMs affect OSS developers' work in these three key areas. Leveraging a natural experiment from a temporary ChatGPT ban in Italy, we employ a Difference-in-Differences framework with two-way fixed effects to analyze data from all OSS developers on GitHub in three similar countries, Italy, France, and Portugal, totaling 88,022 users. We find that access to ChatGPT increases developer productivity by 6.4%, knowledge sharing by 9.6%, and skill acquisition by 8.4%. These benefits vary significantly by user experience level: novice developers primarily experience productivity gains, whereas more experienced developers benefit more from improved knowledge sharing and accelerated skill acquisition. In addition, we find that LLM-assisted learning is highly context-dependent, with the greatest benefits observed in technically complex, fragmented, or rapidly evolving contexts. We show that the productivity effects of LLMs extend beyond direct code generation to include enhanced collaborative learning and knowledge exchange among developers, dynamics that are essential for gaining a holistic understanding of LLMs' impact in OSS. Our findings offer critical managerial implications: strategically deploying LLMs can accelerate novice developers' onboarding and productivity, empower intermediate developers to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration, and support rapid skill acquisition, together enhancing long-term organizational productivity and agility.