Study Reveals Adoption Barriers for AI Coding Assistants Among Software Engineers
New research highlights significant adoption challenges of AI coding assistants among software engineers, especially among females and older engineers.
Key Points
- • Only 41% of engineers adopted the AI coding assistant within a year.
- • Female engineers adopted the tool at a rate of 31%.
- • Engineers aged 40 and older had a 39% adoption rate.
- • The study involved 28,698 software engineers.
A recent study highlights significant demographic challenges faced by software engineers in the adoption of AI coding assistants. Conducted by researchers Oguz A. Acar, Phyliss Jia Gai, Yanping Tu, and Jiayi Hou, the research indicates that only 41% of the 28,698 engineers surveyed had engaged with the AI coding tool one year after its rollout. This low engagement rate points to underlying barriers within specific demographics, particularly among female engineers and older professionals.
Female engineers showed a notably low adoption rate of just 31%, while engineers aged 40 and older had a 39% uptake of the tool. These findings suggest that factors such as gender and age may influence the willingness or ability to embrace new AI technologies.
The researchers emphasize that understanding the underlying reasons for these disparities is crucial for improving the implementation and adoption of AI tools in the workplace. The research not only sheds light on the current state of AI adoption among engineers but also raises questions about how companies can better support diverse groups in leveraging AI for enhanced productivity.