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JetBrains study shows rapid rise in developers’ willingness to delegate to AI, but code-review and debugging lag

By TechStaged

· 2 min read

Prepared with AI assistance from source material. Automated editorial review recorded . Automated checks can miss errors and do not represent human approval. Editorial policy and corrections.

Developers using AI tools with JetBrains Air concept in a modern software development workflow
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Summary

  • In April–June 2025, only 18% of developers were ready to delegate writing application logic code to AI.
  • One year later, the readiness to delegate writing app logic code to AI rose to 50%.
  • Test writing readiness to delegate rose from 50% to 75%.
  • Delegation or refactoring tasks rose from 38% to 60%.

In April–June 2025, 18% of developers were ready to delegate writing application logic code to AI. One year later, that figure rose to 50%—nearly a threefold increase.

The study tracks readiness to delegate across several activities in the software lifecycle, including writing logic, test writing, and delegation/refactoring. Highlights include:

  • 18% ready to delegate writing application logic (2025)
  • 50% ready to delegate writing application logic (2026)
  • 50% to 75% ready to delegate test writing (2025 to 2026)
  • 38% to 60% ready to delegate delegation/refactoring tasks (2025 to 2026)
  • 43% ready to fully delegate code review (2026)
  • 54% not ready to delegate debugging (2026)

WHAT THIS MEANS, AND WHAT REMAINS UNCERTAIN

The numbers point to a trajectory where AI-enabled productivity accelerates in certain tasks, but not universally across all activities. The sample comprises a broad developer population and uses regional quotas and weighting to improve representation. However, as with any self-reported survey data, the extent to which these figures predict long-term outcomes remains uncertain.

ATTITUDES TOWARD JOB IMPACT AND EMPLOYER EXPECTATIONS

Developers’ views on the software job market are mixed. The vast majority expect employers to value AI tooling proficiency, while a sizable minority worry about potential demand declines for professional developers. The data include:

  • 79% believe employers will expect proficiency with AI dev tools (vs. 59% in 2024)
  • 37% believe AI adoption will decrease demand for professional developers; about 28% held a similar concern in 2024

SOURCES

Developer Tools JetBrains .NET Day Online 2026: Post-event Recordings Reveal Air in Rider, AI-Driven Profiling, and Ongoing Tooling Updates • 3 min read Developer Tools Faster Developers Don’t Make a Faster Team: JetBrains study details AI-assisted productivity gaps • 3 min read Developer Tools JetBrains joins OpenSSF to bolster secure software development • 2 min read Developer Tools GitHub posits AI is reshaping developer work, urges three skills to sharpen • 2 min read Developer Tools GitLab's AI Governance Dashboard beta: a single view of agent activity • 2 min read Developer Tools GitLab’s Business Logic Security Analyzer: what verified evidence reveals beyond the announcement • 2 min read Security Agents are your newest insiders: Security must move at their speed • 2 min read Developer Tools Thin Orchestrator, Deep Specialists: How Meta’s 1,300-Line Router Strategy Aims to Make AI Agents More Reliable • 3 min read