Agent-Generated Test Quality

Two AIDev cuts on whether agent code is tested. Jhanglani et al. (204K test files): a trade, not a deficit — agents double human edge-case variety and match assertion strength but carry higher flakiness-candidate rates; three method defects cut into the numbers. Dipongkor et al. (4,882 PRs, ICSME 2026) measure tests against the diff instead: 50.4% of code-changing PRs carry no test change, existing tests execute 61.5% of agents' changed lines in Java and 27.0% in Python (64.8% of Python PRs zero), agent-written tests raise coverage in only 35.9%/22.5% of Code+Tests PRs, and error-handling constructs miss up to 86.0%. Breadth is intrinsic, targeting is relational, and only the second is a safety net — neither study has a human baseline