Experienced developers with over 10 years in the field are more than twice as likely to use AI code-generation tools to produce over half of their finished software compared to junior developers, according to new research from Fastly, a cloud services platform. The findings challenge assumptions about AI adoption in programming, revealing that senior developers embrace these tools not out of laziness, but as a strategic response to their broader responsibilities beyond day-to-day coding.
What you should know: A July survey of 791 US developers found stark differences in AI tool usage across experience levels.
- Around 33% of senior developers with more than a decade of experience use AI tools like Copilot, Claude, and Gemini to generate over half their code, compared to just 13% of developers with up to two years of experience.
- Only 1.8% of all respondents said they never use AI code generation tools.
- Over 70% of developers said AI tools made their jobs more enjoyable, while less than 20% found them problematic.
Why this matters: The pattern reflects the evolving role of senior developers rather than a decline in coding skills.
- “When you really zoom out and think about what a senior engineer does, they don’t write code all day,” explained Austin Spires, senior director of developer engagement at Fastly.
- Senior developers can leverage AI to quickly prototype and test ideas, recapturing “that visceral, fun dopamine hit that made coding so fun in the beginning.”
The big picture: Junior developers’ cautious approach to AI tools may actually be beneficial for skill development.
- Spires called it “heartening” that younger coders rely less on AI tools, showing they want to craft code traditionally.
- Newer developers appear to view AI coding tools as helpful supplements rather than replacements for learning fundamental programming skills.
Key performance differences: Experience levels create distinct patterns in how developers interact with AI tools.
- A slight majority of older developers say AI tools help them ship software faster, though they spend more time checking for bugs.
- Fewer than half of junior developers felt AI tools improved their speed.
- Senior developers can more quickly scan code and spot flaws, while younger workers struggle more with software editing.
Environmental awareness gap: The survey revealed significant differences in sustainability consciousness across generations.
- Barely half of younger developers consider the energy costs of running new code, compared to 80% of older programmers.
- Nearly one in ten respondents admitted they don’t know how much energy their software requires.
- “More senior engineers understand the second and third effects of their code in how it relates to users and how it relates to their community,” Spires noted.
What they’re saying: Industry experts see this as a natural evolution in developer practices.
- “There’s not a lot of incentive for AI coding tools to disclose what the carbon footprint of these tools are,” Spires said.
- “I think it’s just a matter of time before junior developers start to understand those ramifications a little bit further.”
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