UK software developers are still cautious about AI, and for good reason

AI is now becoming a “standard in developers’ lives” according to JetBrains, but software teams in the UK are taking a far more cautious approach to the technology than international counterparts.

Findings from the company’s 2025 State of Developer Ecosystem report show 85% of developers globally regularly use AI for activities such as coding. Similarly, nearly two-thirds (62%) use at least one AI coding assistant, agent, or code editor in their daily workflow.

Yet drilling down into regional and national perception of the technology, it appears many UK developers aren’t fully sold. More than a quarter (27%), for example, said they’re still “uncertain” about the use of AI.

This lingering uncertainty is reflected in daily use of the technology, JetBrains noted. The rate of those not using AI tools (16%) is more than double the global average, which currently stands at 7%.

So what’s behind this hesitancy? JetBrains attributed the stats to a “community that values understanding and control over early adoption” – and it’s clear that several key aspects of the technology are a cause for concern. Code quality, security, and privacy are all notable areas in this regard.

UK developers prefer to keep a lid on things

“UK developers are keeping themselves firmly in the loop,” JetBrains noted. Indeed, nearly half (48%) of developers across the country said they prefer to “stay hands-on” with core tasks such as code reviews and testing in a bid to maintain quality standards.

Simply put, a higher percentage of UK developers are keen to keep a lid on things when using the technology compared to their international counterparts (38%).

Speaking to ITPro, Curtis Wilson, data scientist at Black Duck, said developers have “good reason” for this cautious stance for a number of reasons.

“A large portion of the developer workforce here is working in enterprise software, especially finance,” he explained. “The stakes are high, and the rules are tight.”

“In those kinds of environments, handing over core tasks like testing or code reviews to AI isn’t just a technical decision, it’s a matter of professional responsibility.”

Concerns over code quality have been a long-running issue since the influx of AI tools in software development. Analysis from Google’s 2024 State of DevOps report found over one-third (39%) of developers have little-to-no trust in AI-generated code.

This lack of trust came in spite of the fact 75% use the technology for core tasks such as writing code.

More recent analysis from Stack Overflow also highlighted this lingering hesitancy over AI code generation. Findings from its 2025 Developer Survey show half (46%) “don’t trust the accuracy” of AI outputs, which marked an increase compared to 31% in the year prior.

Wilson said these concerns, combined with the industries a significant portion of UK developers work in, mean many are content with holding off on diving headlong into AI-powered development practices at present.

“Compared to developers in other regions, who are often working in faster-moving, consumer-facing sectors, UK teams are right to take their time,” he said. “The tools are improving, but they’re still prone to subtle errors that can be hard to catch and costly to fix.

“Once the regulatory picture settles and the tooling matures a bit more, we’ll likely see more confident adoption. But for now, the caution isn’t holding the UK back, it’s helping ensure AI is adopted responsibly.”

Not worth the risk

While AI coding tools have improved significantly over the last year, the risks associated with this trend are growing, according to recent studies. A survey from Aikido found one-in-five CISOs admitted they’ve suffered major security incidents as a result of AI-generated code.

With solutions in this domain now being used to write around a quarter (24%) of production code, the Aikido study once again highlighted a more conservative approach among UK and European developers.

Just 21% of European devs use these tools, compared to 29% in the US, and from a security perspective this hesitancy is paying dividends on this side of the Atlantic.

US-based respondents were among the worst hit by AI-related flaws, with 45% of respondents reporting serious incidents – more than double their European counterparts.

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