A survey by GitLab has shed light on developers’ views of the artificial intelligence landscape in software development.
The report titled “The State of Artificial Intelligence in Software Development”, features insights from more than 1,000 global senior technology executives, developers, and security and operations professionals.
The report reveals a complex relationship between enthusiasm for AI adoption and concerns about data privacy, intellectual property and security.
“Enterprises are looking for platforms that allow them to harness the power of artificial intelligence while addressing potential privacy and security risks,” said Alexander Johnston, Research Analyst at the Data, AI & Analytics Channel at 451 Researchpart of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
While 83 percent of survey respondents see the implementation of AI as necessary to remain competitive, a significant 79 percent expressed concerns about AI tools accessing sensitive information and intellectual property.
Impact on developer productivity
AI is seen as an asset to developer productivity, with 51 percent of all respondents citing it as a key benefit of implementing AI. However, security professionals fear that AI-generated code could lead to an increase in security vulnerabilities, potentially creating more work for them.
Only seven percent of developers’ time is currently spent on identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities, compared to 11 percent allocated to testing code. This raises questions about the widening gap between developers and security professionals in the age of artificial intelligence.
Privacy and Intellectual Property Issues
The research highlights the paramount importance of data privacy and intellectual property protection when choosing AI tools. 95 percent of senior technology executives prioritize these aspects when choosing AI solutions.
Additionally, 32% of respondents admitted to being “very” or “extremely” concerned about the introduction of artificial intelligence into the software development lifecycle. Among this group, 39 percent reported concerns about AI-generated code introducing security vulnerabilities, and 48 percent expressed concerns that AI-generated code may not receive the same intellectual property protections rights with human-generated code.
AI skill gap
Despite optimism about AI’s potential, the report finds a disconnect between organizations’ provision of AI training resources and practitioners’ satisfaction with them.
While 75 percent of respondents said their organizations offer training and resources to use AI, a similar percentage expressed the need to seek resources independently—suggesting that the training available may be insufficient.
An impressive 81 percent of respondents said they need more training to effectively use AI in their day-to-day work. Additionally, 65 percent of those planning to use AI for software development said their organizations plan to hire new talent to manage the implementation of AI.
David DeSanto, Chief Product Officer at GitLab, said:
“According to the GitLab Global DevSecOps Report, only 25 percent of developers’ time is spent building code, but data shows that AI can boost productivity and collaboration in nearly 60 percent of developers’ daily work .
To realize the full potential of AI, it must be integrated into the software development lifecycle, allowing everyone involved in delivering secure software – not just developers – to benefit from increased efficiency.”
While artificial intelligence holds enormous promise for the software development industry, GitLab’s report makes it clear that addressing cybersecurity and privacy concerns, bridging the skills gap, and fostering collaboration between developers and security professionals is vital importance to the successful adoption of artificial intelligence.
(Photo by Luca Bravo on Unscrew)
See also: UK Government outlines AI Security Summit plans
Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Checkout AI & Big Data Expo takes place in Amsterdam, California and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with Digital Transformation Week.
Explore other upcoming corporate tech events and webinars powered by TechForge here.