乌鸦传媒

Software engineers may have once stated that software doesn鈥檛 write itself. That鈥檚 not true anymore. Generative AI is perfectly capable of taking on at least some of the simple tasks involved in coding, as well as other aspects of the software development life cycle. In fact, research published in our new 乌鸦传媒 Research Institute report, Turbocharging software with Gen AI, shows that organizations using generative AI have seen a 7鈥�18% productivity improvement in software engineering.

So, what does this mean for those working in the software industry? It would be reasonable to expect some fear of change, after all, status quo is a well-documented human behavior. But our research data – which involved both developers and senior executives – shows that software engineers and their employers expect generative AI to enhance the profession and deliver increased value with software quality and the daily workload of software engineers, as companies demand ever more complex software across all parts of their business and product lines.

Let鈥檚 look in more detail at some of these key benefits.

Accelerate faster with greater accuracy

The old idea that moving too fast opens the door to mistakes can be turned on its head with the careful use of generative AI during software development. Because generative AI can automate some simple tasks, and complete them more quickly, it can help speed up a whole host of non-safety-critical processes, leaving more time to spend on complex software development.This can include paying extra attention to safety-critical systems, where human oversight will still play a crucial role in rigorous oversight to maintain the highest safety standards.

Of course, generative AI is not a 鈥榤agic bullet鈥� that can just be told what to do and automatically produce the result you want. It will need a well-defined architecture and effective rules for how to 鈥榩rompt鈥� it to generate code that is repeatable and maintainable, and which meets company needs and compliance rules.

But with the right processes in place, Gen AI clearly holds great promise, and these fundamental benefits are widely acknowledged among software developers. Our research indicates that its use is projected to grow significantly, with over a quarter of all work in software design, development, testing, and quality expected to be augmented by generative AI in two years. By 2026, we anticipate that more than four of every five software professionals will utilize generative AI tools.

Make room for talent to shine

Improved speed and accuracy are only part of the picture. They are very much enablers for other key advances, most notably allowing software engineers to spend the time required to develop the complex code they were hired to create.

Software engineers possess a wealth of talents that extend beyond writing quality, complex code. However, these talents can be stifled if they spend the vast majority of their time on the more mundane 鈥� even repetitive 鈥� aspects of coding. By freeing them of these tasks, tools like generative AI can unlock engineers鈥� creativity, enabling them to be creative, think of new ways of addressing problems, or imagine entirely new aspects of a software solution.

The challenge of balancing mundane tasks with creative thinking is not unique to software engineers. People in many professions often find that their most profound or innovative thoughts emerge when they are not immersed in the more day-to-day aspects of their work.

However, software engineers still need to spend time writing code, and time must be allocated for it. By automating those everyday tasks, generative AI can free up more time for innovative thinking and creative problem-solving 鈥� like allowing software engineers to spend more time thinking through the user experience. Software professionals are aware of this, and we found they see multiple pathways for creativity to emerge. We found that 61% of software leaders have already seen the benefits of generative AI in enabling innovative work, and 36% have seen benefits in collaborative work.

Advantages like this can be experienced across many different job grades. One technical leader told us, 鈥淲hile senior professionals are leveraging generative AI combined with their domain expertise for product innovation, junior professionals see value in AI process and tool innovation, and in automation and productivity optimization.鈥�

Increase job satisfaction and retention

Despite initial fears, firms are not seeing that generative AI is reducing the software engineering workforce. Instead of considering generative AI as a standalone team member, the prevailing view is to use it as a tool to empower team members and enhance their effectiveness.

When we examined how firms plan to utilize the productivity gains they reap from generative AI, we discovered that only a mere 4% intend to reduce the workforce. The overwhelming majority are committed to enhancing more meaningful work opportunities for their software professionals, such as innovation and new feature development (50%), upskilling (47%), and focusing on complex, high-value tasks (46%).

This is not really surprising. The reality is that most engineering companies cannot hire anywhere near the number of software engineers they need. So, far from reducing headcount, generative AI is more about allowing the existing software workforce to get closer to what the company dreams it will deliver.

Our research found that 69% of senior software professionals believe generative AI will positively impact job satisfaction. When we asked software professionals how they see generative AI, 24% felt excited or happy to use it in their work, and an additional 35% felt it left them assisted and augmented. These factors can also benefit staff retention: people who are happy in their work are less likely to look at moving on.

In conclusion

It is still very early days for generative AI in the software development life cycle. Still, we have already found that it is being leveraged to speed up development time, enhance products, free up software engineers to move from the mundane to more innovative work, and in doing all this, boost both productivity and job satisfaction. With uptake predicted to grow significantly over the coming few years, we expect exciting things for developers, their products, and their customers.

Download our 乌鸦传媒 Research Institute report Turbocharging software with Gen AI to learn more.