New study finds 92% of programmers are already using AI tools

Generative AIs like ChatGPT and Google Bard have truly transformed the workflow in many industries. However, their impact on coding has been the most profound, with reportedly 92% of programmers incorporating various AI tools into their daily tasks and over 70% expressing that the integration of AI tools has significantly enhanced their work efficiency.

The study, conducted by GitHub, focused on American companies with over 1,000 employees and surveyed 500 enterprise developers, shedding light on the significant role AI tools play within the programming community. According to the findings, many employees stated that integrating AI coding tools into their workflow not only helped them adhere to performance standards but also allowed them to enhance code quality, accelerate output generation, and minimize production-level incidents.

“By boosting developer productivity, increasing their satisfaction, and empowering them to be their best every day, we can truly achieve innovation at scale,” said Inbal Shani, the Chief Product Officer at GitHub.

Removing repetitive tasks

It’s no secret that for anyone who has coded, having to do repetitive tasks is one of the most frustrating things ever. And this is where AIs shine, as by automating repetitive and mundane aspects of coding, developers can redirect their efforts towards tackling more complex challenges, resulting in improved efficiency and output. Moreover, these tools also help coders debug their programs efficiently, thus saving time and company resources.

While the benefits of using AIs in programming are evident, one potential concern that stems from the increased reliance on AI-generated code is the potential devaluation of human expertise. When discussing this issue, Mark Collier, the COO of OpenInfra Foundation, stated, “The Python community is grappling with code reviews of AI-generated code, often because it’s crap, and the person ‘contributing’ it can’t explain it because they didn’t write it.” Therefore, programmers will need to set boundaries when it comes to the usage of AI tools.