I'm Not Reading All of That: Understanding Software Engineers' Level of Cognitive Engagement with Agentic Coding Assistants

ArXi:2603.14225v1 Announce Type: cross Over-reliance on AI systems can undermine users' critical thinking and promote complacency, a risk intensified by the emergence of agentic AI systems that operate with minimal human involvement. In software engineering, agentic coding assistants are rapidly becoming embedded in everyday development workflows. Since software engineers create systems deployed across diverse and high-stakes real-world contexts, these assistants must function not merely as autonomous task performers but as Tools for Thought that actively human reasoning and sensemaking.