A new Google study has found that nearly all technology professionals are now turning to artificial intelligence at work. According to the report, 90% of respondents said they use AI in their roles, a jump of 14% from last year.
The survey, conducted by Google’s DORA research division, gathered responses from 5,000 professionals across the globe. The results highlight how quickly AI has moved from a niche tool to a daily fixture in software development.
Ryan J. Salva, who oversees Google’s coding products such as Gemini Code Assist, said the technology is deeply embedded inside the company. “If you are an engineer at Google, it is unavoidable that you will be using AI as part of your daily work,” he told CNN.
However, not all workers are convinced of its value. While 20% of respondents said they trust AI-generated code “a lot,” almost half said they only “somewhat” trust it, and 23% said their confidence was minimal. When asked about quality, 31% said AI “slightly improved” results, while 30% saw no impact at all.
The growing reliance on AI is colliding with a tougher job market for new engineers. According to the New York Fed, recent graduates in computer science and computer engineering face higher unemployment rates than peers in fields such as art history. Indeed job listings for software engineers have plunged 71% since early 2022, reflecting industry-wide layoffs and shifting demands.
Meanwhile, major players including Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and startups like Replit are competing with Google to sell AI tools for coders. Some executives argue that AI is streamlining tedious tasks, but they also admit the buzz is fueling rapid adoption.
“Software development is a fashion industry… We’re all chasing the next style of jeans,” Salva said. “And when there’s that much conversation about it, everyone’s just excited to try the new thing.”
