The popularity of AI coding tools has skyrocketed over the last year and a half, with developers flocking to these solutions to supercharge their daily workflows.
A host of major industry players, including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), have all unveiled dedicated tools for software development.
A new research paper shows there’s a growing geographic disparity in terms of the popularity of AI coding tools.
The paper, titled ‘Who is using AI to code? Global diffusion and impact of generative AI’, examined the use of AI in software development globally, finding that US developers are among the most frequent users.
Researchers tracked AI-generated Python functions in GitHub to identify the regions where the technology was being used most frequently, noting that by December 2024 around 30.1% Python functions came from US contributors.
This comes in stark contrast to counterparts elsewhere globally, researchers found. Around 24.3% of Python functions came from users based in Germany, while France and India stood at 23.2% and 21.6% respectively.
Notably, contributions from Russia and China lagged significantly, recorded at just 15.4% and 11.7% respectively.
Broadly speaking, US developers have led consistently over the last few years, the paper found, particularly since the advent of the generative AI ‘boom’ and running in parallel to various model releases since late 2022.
“We observe noticeable growth spikes in AI-generated code soon after key generative AI releases such as GitHub Copilot, the original ChatGPT, and GPT-4.0, highlighting how breakthroughs in LLMs prompt rapid uptake by developers worldwide,” the paper reads.
“Yet, we also observe significant differences among countries. In the US, which leads in the intensity of use of AI throughout our data, AI-written code grows from 0% in 2020 to approximately 30% by the end of 2024,” researchers added.
“Contributions from Germany, France, India, Russia, and China vary between 12 and 24% in 2024, suggesting significant geographic barriers to diffusion.”
The researchers’ findings on the popularity of AI-generated code align with recent confirmations from major tech firms on this front. In November last year, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that around 25% of the tech giant’s internal code was written using AI, and this has likely since grown.
More recently, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella also highlighted the scale of the company’s AI-generated code, with this now standing at around 30%.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, more experienced and senior developers were less likely to use AI coding tools compared to their junior colleagues. This aligns with existing studies on the uptake of these solutions based on seniority, researchers noted.
The impact of AI on junior developers has become a recurring talking point in recent months, with studies warning that entry-level roles could be adversely impacted by the technology.
Some industry stakeholders have also warned that frequent use of the technology is creating an overreliance that undermines core coding skills.
But those entering the profession are more likely to be accustomed to using these tools, according to GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke.
In a recent podcast appearance, Dohmke noted that many junior developers are ‘AI native’ and have been using AI throughout their time at college and university, or even earlier on in high school, making them more comfortable with using the technology.
The economic impact of AI in software development
Industry providers have been keen to highlight the benefits of AI coding tools, and AI solutions more broadly, in recent years. Productivity boosts, efficiency gains, and speedier development processes have all been touted as key advantages.
Research from GitHub last year, for example, showed these solutions are delivering marked benefits for users, allowing developers to streamline tasks in their daily workflow and focus on more pressing matters.
However, the research paper noted that the economic benefits of the technology vary wildly, and are often dependent on whether organizations and teams are effectively using AI.
Researchers noted that the economic value of AI-assisted coding in the US stands at anywhere from $9.6 billion and $14.4 billion annually.
