Experienced programmers are following the trend of 'mood programming', however inexperienced team members are struggling to identify crucial errors due to their lack of experience.
In the rapidly evolving world of software development, senior developers are leading the charge in adopting AI tools, according to a study by Fastly. The research reveals that senior developers are nearly two and a half times more likely to use AI tools compared to their junior counterparts.
This increased utilisation of AI tools by senior developers is particularly noticeable in production environments. Fastly's findings suggest that senior developers are more likely to trust AI tools in these critical settings.
Despite the widespread adoption, remediating faulty code has emerged as a significant hurdle for developers using AI tools. More than two-thirds (67%) of developers report spending more time debugging AI-generated code than before the introduction of these tools. This issue is particularly prevalent among junior developers, who may find the time savings often negated by manual remediation.
However, senior developers are better equipped to catch and correct AI's mistakes. Their confidence in using AI tools efficiently stems from their experience and ability to recognise when code "looks right" but isn't. This skill contributes to their confidence in using AI tools effectively.
The study by Fastly indicates that approximately one-third of senior software developers, those with over 10 years of experience, regularly use AI tools to build software. In contrast, junior developers are more cautious about relying on AI or avoiding using it in production at all.
Senior developers are also more confident in using AI tools, especially for high-stakes or business-critical code. This confidence is reflected in their belief that AI tools help them ship faster overall. According to Fastly's research, 59% of senior developers believe AI tools help them ship faster, compared to 49% of junior developers.
The study by Fastly further suggests that senior developers are more likely to report significant speed gains when using AI tools compared to junior developers, with 26% of senior developers reporting significant speed gains compared to 13% of junior developers.
Google's 2024 State of DevOps report highlights growing developer concerns about code quality, echoing the challenges faced by those adopting AI tools.
Meanwhile, efforts to automate software development using AI agents are gaining momentum. The Spanish startup Altan is leading recent efforts, having secured 2.5 million USD in funding to further develop its platform that enables software creation and management via text or voice commands. Elon Musk has also launched the AI company xAI with a project called "Macrohard," which aims to replace human developers with specialized AI agents for programming, testing, and UX design.
SAP is another example of large-scale AI adoption in software development, using AI-supported tools for 20,000 developers, resulting in over 20% efficiency gains.
However, as the use of AI tools becomes more prevalent, there are concerns about security. A study by Cloudsmith in June 2025 warns some enterprises are overlooking key security considerations in a bid to drive efficiency. Developers, regardless of their level, must remain vigilant in ensuring the quality and security of their code, even when using AI tools.
