GitHub report: AI propels Python to top language slot

The latest Octoverse report from GitHub highlights the remarkable influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the global developer community, showing Python's ascension to the most used language on the platform and substantial growth in international contributors.

According to the findings, AI has played a central role in reshaping developer activities on GitHub. Python, known for its extensive use in AI, data science, and machine learning, has surpassed JavaScript as the most popular language among global developers. This shift reflects a broader trend where open source activities are expanding beyond typical software development scenarios, further solidifying Python's position as a key language for developers worldwide.

The survey also notes a significant rise in generative AI projects, with a 98% increase in the number of such projects on GitHub over the past year. Countries like India, Germany, Japan, and Singapore have contributed notably to this growth, placing the emphasis on how generative AI is pushing the boundaries of traditional coding practices across different regions.

GitHub recorded 5.2 billion contributions across over 518 million projects this year, underscoring the rapid integration of AI into various development phases. "Remember when people said AI would replace developers? Our data tells a different story," commented GitHub Staff. "As AI rapidly expands, developers are increasingly building AI models into applications and engaging with AI projects on GitHub in large numbers."

There is remarkable global expansion in the developer community, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, with an emphasis on educational initiatives and AI tools like GitHub Copilot, which reportedly enhance the skills of students, teachers, and maintainers. "GitHub is like the air we breathe. It's such a natural part of the way we work that sometimes we don't even notice it. We cannot imagine living without GitHub," remarked Ryuzo Yamamoto, Software Engineer at Souzoh.

The report observes significant growth trends in key regions. Notably, India is predicted to surpass the United States in the number of developers by 2028, being described as set to have the world's largest developer population on GitHub. Presently, the United States holds the highest number of contributors globally, but growth outside the United States has accelerated yearly since 2013.

Moreover, growth in developer engagement in other populous regions like Brazil and Nigeria highlights a dynamic shift as these areas harness their large, diverse populations to advance their tech sectors. In Latin America, for instance, Brazil's open banking industry is thriving, while Mexico is boosting its workforce's coding and AI skills.

Such trends are also evident in the Asia Pacific, where countries like the Philippines and Indonesia show strong developer community increases. José Alfredo Román Cruz // Professor, Technological Institute of Tlaxiaco, noted the impact of GitHub interventions in education: "Students learn to collaborate and cooperate, they develop their soft skills. I did a survey at the end of the semester, and more than 70% of the students indicated that working on projects through GitHub improved their technical and leadership skills."

The GitHub Octoverse 2024 report paints a picture of a rapidly evolving global developer landscape, driven by AI's pervasive reach and an expanding network of contributors utilizing collaboration platforms like GitHub to innovate and educate. "Our data also shows a lot more people are joining the global developer community," GitHub Staff expressed. "In the past year, more developers joined GitHub and engaged with open source and public projects (in some cases, empowered by AI)."

The ongoing proliferation of AI tools has facilitated developers' engagement with code in their native languages. This highlights the potential for developer communities to grow in non-English-speaking regions, paving the way for further global participation and progression in software development.