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Pioneering the Future: How Developers are Shaping Generative AI

Our mission at Developer Nation is to “Enable developers and tech creators worldwide to shape the future of Technology by leveraging the power of Research and Community”. In line with this, we’re diving into the exciting world of Generative AI with insights from our latest “State of the Developer Nation, 29th Edition” report: The Developers Behind Generative AI Applications. This report, based on a global survey of over 10,000 developers, sheds light on who is building with Generative AI and why. 

Generative AI is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of the modern software ecosystem, redefining what our applications can do and introducing new considerations for innovation. The good news? Developers are at the forefront of this transformation.

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The Rise of Generative AI in Applications

Our research reveals that 20% of developers worldwide are already incorporating generative AI functionality into their applications. This includes capabilities like generating text, images, audio, video, and even code. While this is a significant number, it also means there’s vast potential for more developers to engage with this transformative technology. 

So, who are these pioneers and what drives their adoption of Generative AI?

Professional Status Matters

  • Professionals Lead the Way: Professional developers are approximately twice as likely as their counterparts to integrate generative AI into their applications (22% vs. 11%). This difference highlights the impact of workplace context. Professionals often benefit from better resources, technical support, and access to advanced infrastructure, enabling them to incorporate complex technologies more effectively. They are also driven by real-world business needs and the pressure to deliver feature-rich applications. 
  • Students and Hobbyists Face Hurdles: In contrast, hobbyists and students may have lower adoption rates due to limited access to training, fewer financial resources, or less exposure to cutting-edge tools. 

Experience Plays a Role

  • Mid-Career Developers at the Forefront: Developers with 6-10 years of experience are the most active in adding generative AI to their applications (26%), closely followed by those with 3-5 years of experience (23%). These mid-career developers are uniquely positioned, often trusted with innovative features. 
  • Early and Senior Career Trends: Beginners (less than one year of experience) are the least likely to build with generative AI (11%), often focusing on core skill development in simpler projects. Interestingly, there’s a slight drop in adoption among senior developers (over 10 years of experience) at 17%. This could be due to established workflows, where they might delegate innovative tasks or leverage their deep expertise in other critical areas of a project. 

Regional and Company Size Dynamics

  • North America Leads Globally: North America stands out with the highest integration rate of generative AI (27%), reflecting its concentrated tech industry, significant venture capital, and sophisticated technology ecosystems. Regions like Eastern Europe (11%) and South America (12%) show lower adoption. 
  • Midsize Companies Are Agile Innovators: Among professional developers, midsize companies (101-1,000 employees) lead in generative AI adoption at 29%. These companies strike a balance, possessing sufficient resources and expertise while remaining agile enough for rapid innovation. Freelancers and very small companies (2-20 employees) show lower rates (13% and 16% respectively) due to resource and financial constraints. Even large enterprises (>1,000 employees) have a slightly lower adoption rate (24%) compared to midsize firms, often navigating complex ecosystems, legacy systems, and regulatory considerations. 

Your Role in the Generative AI Revolution

The insights from this report reinforce that shaping the future of technology is a collaborative effort. Whether you’re a student experimenting with your first AI model, a mid-career professional integrating AI into enterprise solutions, or a seasoned expert guiding strategic decisions, your engagement is vital.

By understanding these trends, we can better equip ourselves and our community to leverage Generative AI, drive innovation, and continue to build the future of technology.

What are your experiences with Generative AI? Are you building with it? What challenges or opportunities have you encountered? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Community Reports

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.

Shape the Future of Tech! Join the Developer Nation Panel to share your insights, drive tech innovation, and win exciting prizes. Sign up, take surveys, and connect with a global community shaping tomorrow’s technology.

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

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Community Reports

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.

Shape the Future of Tech! Join the Developer Nation Panel to share your insights, drive tech innovation, and win exciting prizes. Sign up, take surveys, and connect with a global community shaping tomorrow’s technology.

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:

  1. 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
  2. Location (50%) – Used primarily for device location verification (31%).
  3. 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.
  4. Cloud & Edge Computing (36%) – Crucial for developers needing low-latency computing and distributed processing.
  5. 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.