Gartner has forecasted that, by 2028, as many as three in four enterprise software engineers will harness the power of AI code assistants, up from just one in 10 in 2023.
The study of nearly 600 global respondents found that nearly two-thirds (63%) of organizations are either piloting, deploying, or have already deployed AI code assistants, highlighting the efficiency-boosting technology’s pivotal role in programming.
The report touches on the extensive and far-reaching benefits of artificial intelligence beyond simple code generation and completion.
Programming is set to get a major AI boost
According to Gartner, AI assistants are set to revolutionize the world of coding by serving as collaboration aides to improve efficiency by stimulating brainstorming. Artificial intelligence also promises to help coders upskill and build proficiency across programming frameworks, in turn having a positive impact on job satisfaction and retention.
Philip Walsh, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner, offered insight into how businesses can truly benefit from AI: “Traditional ROI frameworks steer engineering leaders toward metrics centred on cost reduction. This narrow perspective fails to capture the full value of AI code assistants.”
Gartner likens AI coding assistants to an iceberg, with things like speed boosts, time savings and cost reduction surfacing as the clear benefits. However, below the surface, businesses and developers can unlock things like code quality and maintainability, customer experience, and a reduction in bugs and technical debt.
Walsh added: “To convey the full enterprise value story for AI code assistants, software engineering leaders should connect value enablers to impacts, and then analyse the overall return to the organisation.”
