ICF’s survey has found that federal agencies are taking specific steps to broaden the use of artificial intelligence in software development processes, such as providing AI training for developers, developing an AI strategy for software development and allocating funding for AI-assisted software development.

In partnership with MeriTalk, ICF said Wednesday it surveyed 100 federal IT decision-makers to explore how they leverage AI, cloud and other technologies to transform their software development strategies and advance their agencies’ missions.

According to the survey, 49 percent of IT leaders are establishing an AI-focused team or working group and 46 percent said they partner with external vendors to expand the use of AI technology in software development.

“To build momentum in modernization, agency IT leaders should prioritize immediate, practical action to start using AI—rather than getting stuck in prolonged planning or overcomplicated frameworks,” said Kyle Tuberson, chief technology officer at ICF.

Top Focus Areas for AI-Assisted Software Development

When asked how they use AI for software development, 52 percent of federal IT executives cited data analysis as their top application.

Meanwhile, 51 percent of respondents said they use AI to detect and remediate security vulnerabilities, and 48 percent said the technology assists them in reviewing code.

The survey also showed that 46 percent of IT leaders said they are adopting AI in code interpretation, generation and completion, and 40 percent mentioned using the technology in resource planning and project management.

AI’s Impact on Federal Agencies

According to the survey, 96 percent of federal IT leaders said they believe in AI’s ability to accelerate project timelines.

The respondents also cited the role of AI-assisted software development tools in improving coding, productivity and cybersecurity.

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