Engineering leaders seek AI capabilities to improve features and functionality, but face significant challenges
Seventy-seven percent of engineering leaders identify integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities into applications to improve features and functionality as a significant or moderate challenge, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc.. The survey also found that using AI tools to improve software engineering workflows is the second biggest challenge, with 71% of respondents considering it a significant or moderate challenge.
The survey of 400 software engineering/application development leaders in the US and UK was conducted from October to December 2024.
“With the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) identifying the Artificial intelligence as the technology that will most impact your industry, interest in offerings like AI agents is generating the greatest momentum", it says Jim Scheibmeir, Vice President Analyst at Gartner. “Even as business leaders focus more on this technology and despite the growing hype, the execution is not easy.”
Both emerging vendors and established hyperscalers have developed and continue to enhance their platforms to address the key challenges faced by enterprises operating and innovating in this market. Gartner estimates the current size of the AI application development platform market to be $1.4T 5.2 billion.
“Engineering leaders should opt for AI application development platforms or those with the best ecosystem, rather than a mix of different vendors, Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI services,” says Scheibmeir. “This approach enables scalability, reusability and consistency in an area of technology and software engineering that is still very new.”
AI assistants and agents will also impact software engineering talent
Today, AI agents are acting as learning partners for software engineers, allowing them to focus on the complex and creative aspects of software engineering. This is making more people enter the area without having a traditional background in computer science.
“Bringing team members from outside the science, technology and math fields, such as design, psychology and the arts, can introduce new perspectives and creative problem-solving approaches,” he says. Nitish Tyagi, Principal Analyst at Gartner. “This diversity can also lead to more innovative solutions and a richer, more inclusive user experience.”
Gartner predicts that by 2028, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) will enable 40% of software team members to come from non-traditional educational backgrounds in software engineering or technical fields, up from 20% today.
AI will not be able to replace all software engineering tasks, and at least in the short term, companies will need to focus on reviewing the output of AI-enhanced tools. This leads to the need to hire engineers with strong soft skills, such as logic construction and algorithm development. People with non-technical backgrounds, such as design, art, and philosophy, will provide new creative ways to solve logical problems using AI.
“The future will be dominated by composite or fusion product teams consisting of software engineers, User Experience Designers, product managers, and even data scientists coming from both technical and non-technical educational backgrounds,” says Tyagi.
Hiring the right candidates with GenAI skills will become crucial, regardless of their educational background. To achieve this, companies are rapidly adopting a skills-based hiring approach instead of relying solely on resumes and academic backgrounds. They are using skills assessment platforms and interviews to evaluate the right candidates.
Additionally, they can use AI techniques and skills data to design personalized learning paths for new and existing employees. The survey also found that 381% of respondents said using AI to learn a new skill was the most effective technique.
Gartner customers can read more at “Market Guide for AI Application Development Platforms" and "Predicts 2025: Navigating the Rise of AI in Software Engineering”.
About Gartner for Software Engineering Leaders
O Gartner for Software Engineering Leaders helps leaders align with stakeholders, retain and optimize teams, and create innovative products that support and serve the entire enterprise, its partners, and customers. Additional information is available at https://www.gartner.com/en/software-engineering.
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About Gartner
O Gartner, Inc. delivers objective, actionable insights to executives and their teams. Our expert guidance and tools enable faster, smarter decisions and better performance for your business’s mission-critical priorities. To learn more, visit www.gartner.com.
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