We asked developers about driving impact in the age of AI. Here’s what they said.

Developers make the world go ‘round as software continues to eat the world. To help developers feel satisfied and drive impact at their jobs, we asked them directly about what tasks they enjoy doing, and what gets in the way of accomplishing them.??

We talked to 500 U.S.-based developers who told us that learning new skills, getting feedback from end users and automated tests, and designing solutions to novel problems have the most positive impact on their workdays.?

They also have an optimistic outlook on software development in the age of AI. Of the developers we talked to:

• 92% say they’re using AI coding tools at work and in their personal time.
• 81% say AI coding tools will help increase collaboration within their teams and organizations.
• 41% believe that AI coding tools can help with preventing burnout.?

Our findings suggest that developer satisfaction and productivity are positioned to get a boost from AI coding tools. And satisfaction and productivity gains free you to do what matters most: build innovative and impactful software.?

However, just like with any emerging tech, there’s always a learning curve. As a result, developers—beginners and experienced alike—sometimes feel frustrated when AI-powered coding assistants, like GitHub Copilot, don’t generate the output they want. But we’ve got you covered with our guide to using GitHub Copilot including prompts, tips, and use cases.?

Speaking of AI, Collision attendees can watch GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke present a talk on generative AI. Dohmke will unveil economic research on generative AI-powered developer tools—co-authored with Harvard professor Marco Iansiti.?

Back to the developer wishlist. Here are more interesting finds: ???

• Waiting on builds and tests is still a problem. Despite industry-wide investments in DevOps, developers still say the most time-consuming thing they’re doing at work besides writing code is waiting on builds and tests. ??
• Developers want more collaboration. Developers in enterprise settings work with an average of 21 other engineers on projects—and want collaboration to be a top metric in performance reviews. ??
• Developers also see big benefits to AI. 70% say AI coding tools will offer them an advantage at work and cite better code quality, completion time, and resolving incidents as some of the top anticipated benefits. ??

How do we hope you’ll benefit from these survey findings? By using them as proof points when advocating for a tool or process that will improve your experience in the workplace. The more we understand and support what drives your productivity, satisfaction, and impact, the better off organizations—and society—will be.?

?“We need a holistic view of what makes up developers’ workflow. And once we have that, we need to make sure that the experience is collaborative and smooth every step of the way.” ?- Eirini Kalliamvakou, staff researcher at GitHub

Learn why organizations are invested in improving software development ecosystems for their developers.

?? Coming up at GitHub Universe 2023 this year, we’ll have talks on AI, security, and the developer experience planned for virtual and in-person attendees. So what are you waiting for? Save the date and we'll see you there!?

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