Are all developers equally productive with AI? Not quite.
Bill Doerrfeld | January 20, 2026
My
latest on LeadDev covers a report that suggests AI tends to accelerate top performers
As it turns out, the engineers seeing the biggest gains from AI were top performers all along.
A new report from GitClear and GitKraken suggests that AI doesn't create great developers so much as it amplifies the senior engineers who already know how to use it effectively.
Today, I dig into the data and sync with Bill Harding on what the year-over-year metrics show, and why headline productivity gaps can be misleading.
This is my 3rd year in a row covering studies from GitClear and Harding on the state of AI in software engineering, and the results never fail to spark some interesting takeaways!
Other Blog Posts
My InfoWorld feature reviews the key building blocks in agentic systems and with real-world examples from Shopify, Block, and others.
My latest InfoWorld feature explores what makes an enterprise MCP registry effective, from semantic discovery to governance and security for AI agents.
My first-ever contribution to CSO Online looks at the shifting landscape, from perimeter-based security to API security, and how CISOs are responding.
My latest feature for The New Stack looks into solutions being proposed to fix open source Slopmageddon.
My latest DirectorPlus looks at how agentic AI is reshaping platform engineering at Squarespace: less shared code and more developer experience focus.
Usage-based pricing is reshaping the API economy. Discover 5 API monetization success stories, including OpenAI, Plaid, and AssemblyAI.
Why event-driven APIs matter for AI workflows, enabling real-time data, scalable systems, and responsive agent behavior.
While hardware usually gets the spotlight in physical AI, the real differentiator won't be hardware. It'll be the models.
In the latest DirectorPlus, Workato's CTO explains how MCP-enabled integration catalyzed internal AI usage and ROI.
My latest on InfoWorld reviews MCP servers from 5 major cloud providers
