AI tools changing software developing
90% of enterprise software engineers will by 2028 use AI code assistants, up from less than 14% in early 2024. The role of developers will shift from implementation to orchestration, focusing on problem solving and system design, and ensuring AI tools deliver high-quality outcomes. To succeed, teams must balance automation with human oversight, considering business criticality, risk and workflow complexity, market research firm Gartner says in a forecast.
“AI-enabled tools and technologies are fundamentally changing how software is built and delivered,” says Joachim Herschmann, the firm’s VP Analyst.
The forecast says that organisations must prioritise investments that align with strategic trends in software engineering:
- AI-native software engineering is transforming the software development life cycle (SDLC) by embedding AI into every phase, from design to deployment. By 2028, 90% of enterprise software engineers will use AI code assistants, up from less than 14% in early 2024.
- By 2027, at least 55% of software engineering teams will be actively building LLM-based features. “Successfully building LLM-based applications and agents requires software engineering leaders to rethink their strategies,” says Herschmann. “This means investing in upskilling, experimenting with generative AI (GenAI) outputs and implementing strong guardrails to manage risks.”
- By 2027, 70% of organisations with platform teams will include GenAI capabilities in their internal developer platforms. By making AI capabilities easily discoverable through self-service developer portals, prioritising features based on developer needs and embedding robust governance and security practices, leaders can ensure their teams build innovative applications that comply with organisational standards.
- “To remain competitive, organisations must move beyond traditional hiring practices and focus on building teams with high talent density,” says Herschmann. “Leaders should cultivate a culture of continuous learning and collaboration to attract and retain skilled professionals who can adapt and grow with evolving business needs.”
- Open GenAI models are reshaping the enterprise AI landscape by offering greater flexibility, lower costs and freedom from vendor lock-in. By 2028, 30% of total global enterprise spend on GenAI technologies will be on open GenAI models tuned for domain-specific use cases.
- Green software engineering is the discipline of building sustainable software that is carbon-efficient and carbon-aware. “As organisations build and buy more software as part of digital initiatives, the increase in carbon footprint from compute-intensive workloads can be at odds with their sustainability targets,” said Herschmann. “Building intelligent applications with GenAI is energy intensive, making green software engineering practices essential.”
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