Google-sponsored DORA report reframes AI as central to software development (www.theregister.com)

Google Cloud’s 2025 DORA report — based on nearly 5,000 IT professional responses — reframes AI as a core element of modern software development: 90% of respondents use AI in dev work, 71% use it to write new code, and chatbots are the most common interface. Agent-style autonomous changes remain uncommon (61% never use them, 17% use them daily). While 80% say AI has boosted productivity, 30% distrust AI-generated code and many report increased delivery instability; the report warns AI amplifies both high performance and existing dysfunction. To guide adoption, DORA introduces an AI Capabilities Model with seven technical and cultural best practices: clear AI usage policies, high-quality internal data, AI access to that data, strong version control, small batches of work, user-centric development, and a robust internal developer platform. The paper pushes teams to adapt DevOps practices for the “idiosyncratic” pace of AI — faster feedback loops, autonomous testing and deployment, and a learning culture. It also shifts emphasis away from the four classical DORA metrics to broader measures of product performance, throughput, instability, burnout and friction, categorizing teams into seven archetypes (10% at the lowest level, 20% at the highest). The takeaway: AI adoption is no longer optional — proper tooling, governance, data hygiene and organizational changes determine whether it improves or harms delivery.