Meet us at AWS re:Invent, dive into GitLab 17.6, and peek into AI trends for 2025!

We’re back for another Monday Merge, and we’ve got lots to share: new features, expert insights, and recommended reads.

Before we begin, thank you to all our subscribers for your support! Your feedback helps shape the Monday Merge, so please let us know in the comments what topics and content you'd like to see in upcoming editions.

?? We’ve reached 1 million followers!?

We’re kicking off this month’s The Monday Merge with some huge news - we’ve officially hit 1 million followers on LinkedIn!?

Thank you for collaborating, innovating, and pushing the boundaries of DevSecOps with us. We couldn’t have achieved this huge milestone without you all, so thank you for being part of our journey! Let’s keep growing and creating great things together.

??? Meet us this week at AWS re:Invent

We’re gearing up for AWS re:Invent this week in Las Vegas. Curious about what we have planned??

• Drop by Booth #1828 to explore live demos showcasing GitLab’s DevSecOps solutions, grab exclusive GitLab swag (including tanuki building blocks!), and meet our team in person.
• Attend Lightning Talks in our booth’s mini theater to dive deep into the latest in AI-powered security, automation, and software development.
• Don’t miss our breakout session: "Understanding Software Logistics: The Rise of the Platform Engineer." Learn about software factories, CI/CD optimization, and container deployments in AWS environments from industry experts. ? Register here.
• Register now for our platform engineering executive roundtable with Thoughtworks and Humanitec, featuring practitioners from Marsh McLennan, Philip Morris International, Pfizer, American Express, Macy's, and others discussing key trends in platform engineering. ?Register here.

?? Explore all of the ways to connect with us at AWS re:Invent

?? GitLab 17.6 brings self-hosted Duo Chat and enhanced security

There are over 150 improvements in our latest release, including some exciting AI and security features. Here's a quick look at what's inside:

• Self-hosted Duo Chat enters beta – deploy your own LLMs on-premise or in your private cloud to power GitLab Duo Chat. Support includes Mistral models on vLLM, AWS Bedrock, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, giving you AI capabilities while maintaining complete data sovereignty.
• Enhanced security adherence checks – demonstrate compliance with new SAST and DAST scanner checks in the Compliance Centre. Easily verify and report that your security scanners are properly configured and running.
• Model registry now generally available – manage your machine learning models directly in GitLab with MLflow integration, semantic versioning, and automated CI/CD deployment pipelines.

This release was made possible in part by the 265 contributions provided by the wider GitLab community—thank you!

?? Learn more about all 150+ improvements.

?? AI trends coming in 2025 – Insights from Emilio Salvador

GitLab's very own Emilio Salvador, Vice President of Strategy and Developer Relations, just dropped an article that’s a must-read called AI Trends Coming in 2025.??

With AI adoption in software development rising from 23% to 39% in just one year, the transformation is already underway.

Here are three key ways AI will revolutionize software development in 2025:

1. Intelligent, adaptive AI agents will lead the way – The future of applications is moving beyond traditional interfaces to intelligent AI agents that learn and adapt over time. These agents will provide more interactive, conversational experiences that become increasingly personalized through real-time learning.
2. AI assistants evolve into proactive collaborators – AI tools will advance from simple prompt-based interactions to proactive problem-solvers anticipating developer needs. While they won't replace developers, these AI assistants will automate routine tasks, allowing developers to focus on strategic decision-making and innovation.
3. On-premises AI becomes more accessible – As open source models become more cost-effective, organizations will increasingly run customized AI models in their own data centers. This shift will make it easier and more affordable to fine-tune AI for specific needs while maintaining better control over data privacy and security.

Emilio emphasizes that success in this AI-driven future requires strategic planning, investment in talent and infrastructure, and a commitment to continuous learning.

?? Read the full article here.

?? GitLab + Ultimate = major efficiency gains for CARFAX

Here’s a customer story that’ll get you revved!?

CARFAX recently adopted GitLab Ultimate, and by doing so, they reduced their toolchain from 12 tools to just ONE. The result? A 20% boost in deployment speed and a 30% increase in early vulnerability detection.?

They made security a core part of their DevSecOps process and drastically reduced costs, proving just how powerful the GitLab Ultimate combination can be for improving security, efficiency, and software delivery.

??Read the full article here.

?? What we're reading and watching

They say knowledge is power, so here are a few reads to power up your expertise:

• Kingfisher plc builds a better developer experience with GitLab - Muhammad Zulhusni explores how Kingfisher is transforming its developer experience with GitLab's DevSecOps platform, focusing on automation, simplifying workflows, and enhancing security.?
• Upskilling engineering teams for the AI era - GitLab Chief Technology Officer Sabrina Farmer delves into how organizations are preparing engineering teams for the AI era by evolving job roles, reskilling, and fostering continuous learning.?
• What is AI-powered DevSecOps? GitLab's Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer Ashley Kramer joins Michael Krigsman on CXOTalk to discuss how AI transforms software development. They emphasize the importance of developer happiness and strategic AI implementation, focusing on the entire DevSecOps lifecycle beyond just code generation.
• FinOps: Balancing financial responsibility and innovation - GitLab Global Field CTO Lee Faus explores how FinOps harmonizes financial accountability with business objectives by bringing together finance and engineering teams to optimize cloud spending while enabling innovation and developer productivity.

As we look ahead to 2025, I’ll leave you with an inspiring quote from Ray Kurzweil:

"The best way to prepare for the future is to stay curious about what's possible."

Until next time – happy merging!

Fatima Sarah Khalid | Developer Advocate, GitLab

P.S. To stay up to date with all the latest happenings and developments in the world of DevSecOps, don’t forget to hit subscribe.