
The rapid adoption of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT has introduced new dynamics in software development, particularly within pull request workflows. While prior research has examined the quality of AI-generated code, little is known about how developers actually use these suggestions in real-world collaboration. We analyze 338 pull requests from 255 GitHub repositories containing self-admitted ChatGPT usage, including 645 AI-generated snippets and 3,486 developer-authored patches. We introduce PatchTrack, a tool that classifies whether ChatGPT patches were applied, not applied, or not suggested, enabling fine-grained analysis of AI-assisted decisions. Full adoption of ChatGPT code is rare: the median integration rate was 25%. A qualitative analysis of 89 pull requests with integrated patches revealed recurring patterns of structural integration, selective extraction, and iterative refinement, showing that developers typically treat ChatGPT’s output as a starting point rather than a final implementation.
AI-assisted code review, PatchTrack, Pull request decision-making, ChatGPT-generated patches, Generative AI in software development
AI-assisted code review, PatchTrack, Pull request decision-making, ChatGPT-generated patches, Generative AI in software development
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 0 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
