The Rise of AI in Software Development: Key Insights from the 2024 Docker AI Trends Report

The software development landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation, fueled by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Docker, a pivotal player in the containerization ecosystem, recently released its 2024 AI Trends Report, shedding light on the increasing role AI plays in shaping the future of development.

Based on a survey of over 1,300 developers, the report provides invaluable insights into how AI is being used in development workflows, the most important AI trends, and the evolving attitudes toward AI across the industry.

Click to Access to the 2024 Docker AI Trends Report

Here are the Top 10 Takeaways from the report, highlighting the future of AI in software development.

1. Machine Learning (ML) Engineering is on the Rise

The report underscores significant growth in ML engineering and data science within the Docker ecosystem. More developers are leveraging Docker to manage and scale ML workflows, integrating AI-driven applications in containerized environments. This growth reflects a broader trend: AI isn’t just a buzzword anymore—it’s becoming a core part of development.

2. GenAI Leads the Pack of Emerging Trends

Generative AI (GenAI) is viewed as the most important trend in software development, with 40% of respondents identifying it as a key focus. GenAI’s ability to automate content creation, code generation, and even design processes is streamlining workflows for developers. Following closely behind, AI assistants for software engineering—used to assist with code, documentation, and debugging—were chosen by 38% of respondents as a vital trend to watch.

3. AI is Used Across Diverse Company Sizes

The survey paints a picture of diverse users, with 42% of respondents from small companies, 28% from mid-sized organizations, and 25% from large enterprises. This breadth showcases AI’s reach across companies of all sizes, demonstrating that AI is no longer just a tool for tech giants—it’s accessible and valuable to everyone.

4. AI is Becoming an Essential Tool in Development

AI adoption is growing rapidly, with 64% of developers reporting they use AI in their daily work. AI is being applied in a variety of areas:

• 33% use it to write code.
• 29% use it for writing documentation.
• 28% leverage AI for research purposes.

These applications are helping developers to accelerate their productivity by handling routine or complex tasks.

5. Generational Divide on AI Priorities

The survey revealed a divide in the prioritization of AI trends between senior and junior developers. Senior developers, DevOps engineers, and platform managers consider GenAI the most important trend, seeing its potential in automating complex workflows. On the other hand, junior developers place more emphasis on AI assistants for writing code and performing routine tasks. This generational difference highlights AI’s diverse benefits for developers at different stages of their careers.

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Ajeet Singh Raina is a developer advocate at Docker. He is a founder of Collabnix. He leads a Collabnix Slack community of 10K members. He is a Docker Community Leader and leads the Docker Bangalore community of 15K+ members. His community blogging site attracts millions of DevOps engineers every year and has more than 750+ blogs on Docker, Kubernetes and Cloud. Follow him on Twitter, Slack and Discord.