How are developers using AI? Inside our 2025 DORA report
Today, we're sharing key findings from the 2025 DORA Report, our annual research into the trends shaping modern software development. In our report, State of AI-assisted Software Development, we surveyed nearly 5,000 technology professionals globally, validating what we all suspected: the way software is built has profoundly changed.
Google Cloud’s DORA research program has been investigating the capabilities, practices and measures of high-performing technology-driven teams and organizations for more than a decade. And our 2025 research makes it clear that AI is no longer a novelty, but a near-universal part of a developer’s toolkit.
Massive adoption meets major productivity gains
This year's report reveals a significant finding: AI adoption among software development professionals has surged to 90%, marking a 14% increase from last year. These professionals, from developers to product managers, now integrate AI into their core workflows, typically dedicating a median of two hours daily to working with it.
Our findings on the adoption and use of AI by software developers point to a broad adoption of and deep reliance on AI across a range of tasks.
A significant majority (65%) of those surveyed are heavily relying on AI for software development, with 37% reporting a "moderate amount" of reliance, 20% "a lot" and 8% "a great deal."
This indicates a strong adoption and dependence on AI within the field, and the advantages for users of these tools are evident in this year’s research:
- Significant productivity gains: Over 80% of respondents indicate that AI has enhanced their productivity.
- Improved code quality: A majority (59%) report a positive influence of AI on code quality.
As AI adoption has increased, developers have reported increased productivity and positive impacts on code quality
A trust and productivity paradox
Despite the widespread adoption and perceived benefits, some software development professionals remain cautious about using AI in their work. Our report uncovers a surprising "trust paradox": While 24% of respondents report a "great deal" (4%) or "a lot" (20%) of trust in AI, 30% trust it "a little" (23%) or "not at all" (7%). This indicates that AI outputs are perceived as useful and valuable by many of this year’s survey respondents, despite a lack of complete trust in them. This could also imply that AI is being incorporated into workflows as a supportive tool to enhance productivity and efficiency, rather than serving as a full substitute for human judgment.
While AI is boosting individual performance, its effect on organizations is more complex. This year's research shows that AI adoption is now linked to higher software delivery throughput, meaning teams are releasing more software and applications, which is a positive reversal of last year's findings. However, the ongoing challenge remains of ensuring software works as intended before it's delivered to users.
Reflections on how teams work
Our research this year also found that AI can act as a "mirror and a multiplier.” In cohesive organizations, AI boosts efficiency. In fragmented ones, it highlights weaknesses.
To better understand these underlying conditions, this year's report moves beyond simple performance metrics to reveal seven distinct team archetypes, providing a deeper, more human-centric view of what drives success in AI adoption. These profiles, from "Harmonious high-achievers" to teams caught in a "Legacy bottleneck," offer a richer narrative that can help organizations understand the unique interplay between performance, well-being and workplace environment.
For organizations ready to adopt AI, new tools can help them evolve their work processes - meaning they benefit from both the productivity boost and the resulting transformation.
A blueprint for guiding AI in organizations
Adoption of AI alone isn't enough to guarantee success though. That’s why this year, we’re also introducing a new blueprint of seven essential capabilities for amplifying AI's impact. The DORA AI Capabilities Model is based on extensive research and identifies a blend of technical and cultural factors that are crucial for success.
The DORA AI Capabilities Model provides data-backed guidance for organizations adopting AI
The key takeaway is clear: AI is a transformative tool for developers, but realizing its full potential requires more than just adoption. It demands that organizations evolve their culture, processes and systems to support a new era of software development.
Get deeper insights and additional findings from this year's research when you download the State of AI-assisted Software Development report.
