Reports Archives - Developer Nation Blog

The Rise of AI Chatbots: Usage and Problem-Solving Insights

In this blog, we explore more about the use of AI chatbots for problem-solving by professionals, hobbyists, and students involved in technology projects. More specifically, we look at how much the adoption of AI chatbots increased between Q1 and Q3 2024 across different role types, experience levels, and geographic regions based on our latest State of Developer Nation report. I encourage you to check and download the full report here for deeper insights: here.

AI chatbots have become an essential part of today’s digital landscape. From streamlining customer support to providing instant technical assistance, these intelligent tools are revolutionizing the way businesses and individuals tackle challenges. As AI chatbots continue to evolve, their adoption has surged across various industries and user groups.

A recent survey by Developer Nation (Q1 & Q3 2024) sheds light on the growing role of AI chatbots in problem-solving. The data, collected from over 2,000 respondents, reveals a significant increase in chatbot usage across different professions, experience levels, and geographical regions. Let’s dive into the key insights.

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Who Uses AI Chatbots the Most?

Hobbyists & Students Leading the Charge

Hobbyists using AI chatbots for problem-solving increased from 39% in Q1 to 44% in Q3 2024. Student adoption grew from 41% to 46% in the same period. The accessibility of AI chatbots has made it easier for non-professionals to experiment, learn, and troubleshoot issues quickly.

Opinion : I was reading a recent report which suggests AI services like chatGPT is replacing forums like StackOverflow when it comes to students asking programming related solutions, and it kind of makes sense how an AI powered chatbot is a suitable choice for beginner programmers and students which will walk you through a solution rather than yelling at you for not being aware about a framework or using wrong grammar on an online forum which is more common than we know.

The Growth of AI Chatbots in Problem-Solving

One of the biggest takeaways from the survey is the growing reliance on AI chatbots for problem-solving. The percentage of users leveraging AI chatbots for troubleshooting and technical assistance rose from 40% in Q1 2024 to 45% in Q3 2024. This increase indicates that as AI chatbots become more sophisticated, professionals, hobbyists, and students are finding them more valuable for solving complex issues quickly and efficiently.

For those involved in technology projects, AI chatbots can provide instant solutions to coding errors and other technical challenges. Instead of manually searching for answers, developers and engineers can now receive real-time assistance, reducing frustration and improving productivity.

Experience Matters: How Usage Varies by Skill Level

Interestingly, AI chatbot adoption is growing the fastest among beginners in tech. The survey found that 42% of users with less than three years of experience in technology projects now rely on chatbots for problem-solving, up from 35% in Q1 2024. For newcomers, AI chatbots offer instant guidance, helping them troubleshoot errors and learn new concepts quickly.

For seasoned professionals with over a decade of experience, chatbot usage remains stable at around 47%. This suggests that experienced developers recognize the value of AI chatbots but use them strategically for targeted problem-solving rather than as a primary resource.

The Future of AI Chatbots in Problem-Solving

As AI chatbots continue to advance, their impact on problem-solving, self support, and business operations will only grow. With rising adoption among both technical and non-technical professionals, AI-powered assistants are proving to be indispensable tools for improving efficiency and decision-making.

Take a look at a recent SlashData webinar on use of AI chatbots here and I highly encourage you to download the complete report for even more interesting insights here.

The Rising Importance of Network APIs : Understanding Developer Adoption

Earlier this year, McKinsey highlighted network APIs as a way for telecom companies to capitalize on their 5G investments, predicting a multi-billion dollar market within the next five to seven years. Network APIs have also gained significant attention recently, especially since the unveiling of GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative at the Mobile World Congress in 2023.

However, the success of this market hinges on DEVELOPERS ADOPTION. In this blog, we explore current adoption trends, developer profiles, and key use cases for network APIs. In this blog, let’s look at some interesting insights on the Developer adoption of networking APIs based on our 27th Edition of Developer Nation survey. Before you proceed I also highly encourage you to download our full report, available for free to get an in-depth picture of the landscape here.

Developer Adoption of Network APIs

In our latest Developer Nation survey of over 8,800 developers, only 8% reported using network APIs. This places them lower in adoption compared to 21 other API categories. Regional trends show the highest adoption rates in:

Middle East and Africa (11%)
Greater China (10%)
North America (10%)

Conversely, below-average adoption rates were observed in:

Western Europe (6%)
Oceania (5%)
South America (5%)
Eastern Europe (2%)

The low adoption in Eastern Europe which exhibit the lowest adoption rates for network APIs overall.

Adoption in Different Development Areas

Network APIs find the highest adoption among developers working in:

Industrial IoT (IIoT) projects (14%)
Consumer electronics (13%)
Apps/extensions for third-party ecosystems (12%)

IIoT industry inherently relies on connectivity for real-time data exchange, automation, and predictive maintenance applications. Developers in these areas leverage network APIs to enhance device communication and interoperability.

At the lower end of adoption, backend services (6%) and web apps (7%) show minimal use of network APIs. Mobile app developers (9%) also use them sparingly, likely because many functionalities—such as identity, location, and payments—are already integrated into app stores and OS-level APIs.

How Developers Use Network APIs

Network APIs serve multiple functionalities, categorized into five key areas:

Identity (84%) – The most popular use case, primarily for fraud prevention and user verification. Common applications include:
- One-time passwords (41%)
- Number verification (30%)
- Highest adoption among mobile and IIoT developers
Location (50%) – Used primarily for device location verification (31%).
Network Quality/Optimization (37%) – Essential for applications requiring high performance, low latency, and efficient network resource use. Most popular among embedded systems and IIoT developers.
Cloud & Edge Computing (36%) – Crucial for developers needing low-latency computing and distributed processing.
Payments (16%) – The least adopted category, used mostly for carrier billing in mobile-first regions like Greater China (20%), East Asia (20%), and the Middle East & Africa (19%).

Future of Network APIs

Despite relatively low adoption, network APIs hold immense potential across industries, especially in IoT, edge computing, and AI-driven applications. As network providers refine and expand API offerings, developer interest is likely to increase, unlocking new opportunities in 5G monetization.

The road ahead for network APIs depends on greater accessibility, streamlined integration, and real-world developer success stories. If you’re interested in exploring more about network APIs and their evolving role in connectivity, checkout recent webinar by SlashData here and download our free report here.