How are developers using AI? Inside our 2025 DORA report (blog.google)

Google Cloud’s 2025 DORA report, based on a survey of nearly 5,000 tech professionals, finds AI has moved from novelty to near-universal tooling in software development: 90% of respondents now use AI (up 14% year-over-year), typically spending a median two hours per day with it. Adoption is deep—65% report heavy reliance (37% moderate, 20% “a lot,” 8% “a great deal”)—and users report tangible benefits: >80% say AI boosted their productivity, 59% report improvements in code quality, and teams are seeing higher software delivery throughput (a reversal of last year’s findings). But the report surfaces a trust-and-organization paradox. Only 24% express high trust in AI, while 30% report low or no trust, suggesting AI is mainly a productivity amplifier rather than a full substitute for human judgment. Impact depends on context: DORA describes AI as a “mirror and multiplier” that enhances cohesive teams but exposes weaknesses in fragmented ones. To guide adoption, DORA introduces seven team archetypes and a seven-capability AI Capabilities Model—mixing technical and cultural practices—arguing that successful scaling of AI requires changes to processes, systems and culture, not just tool rollout.