AI Engineering Study by EPAM and CMR Reveals 62% of Modern Engineers Expect Their Career Growth to be Enhanced by AI & 52% Expect Productivity to be Enhanced.

Prabhu Ram, Head - Industry Intelligence Group

June 25, 2024

Delhi/Gurugram, 25 June. AI and Generative AI-led technologies are changing the future of modern businesses, and every sector is looking to harness its potential. However, behind this technology revolution, it is the modern engineers who are at the forefront of this disruption.

EPAM Systems, Inc. (EPAM), a leading global digital transformation services and product engineering company, and CyberMedia Research (CMR) commissioned a joint study to better understand modern engineers’ perspectives around AI and generative AI.

The study was conducted in April and May 2024, covering 800+ modern engineers aged 25 years and above, with top skillsets cutting across Data Engineering, Analytics, Product & Platform Engineering, Cloud Transformation & Migration, Testing, Digital Experience Engineering, Al Prompt Engineering, and others. The respondents were surveyed from 8 major cities in India with the highest concentration of modern engineers.

Key Study Highlights:

Modern engineers believe that AI can significantly improve daily work by automating tasks and increasing efficiency:

AI has provided con0nuous learning and development opportuni0es (60%) for most modern engineers.

While AI integra0on has boosted team communica0on and collabora0on (47%) and clariﬁed data-driven decision-making (44%), seamlessly integra0ng AI into exis0ng workﬂows remains a challenge (37%).

While (41%) of modern engineers feel current AI training resources are insuﬃcient, leading to job security concerns (44%), a signiﬁcant majority (76%) expect their organiza0ons to oﬀer access to AI resources and learning plaOorms for professional development.

Modern engineers believe that following (50%) AI protocols set by their organiza0ons ensure human accountability and control over AI-driven decisions. They prefer Explainable AI (56%) for transparent decision-making.

Furthermore, the report brings insights such as:

AI improves decision-making by minimizing errors and enhancing data interpretaXon, yet it requires human oversight to ensure accuracy.

AI has transformaXve potenXal in engineering workﬂows, oﬀering conXnuous learning opportuniXes and acXng as a valuable daily assistant. Its clear impact on problem-solving, debugging, and workﬂow eﬃciency highlights its job market relevance and the need for engineers to adapt and learn conXnuously.

AI serves as a catalyst for creaXve problem-solving, oﬀering alternaXve approaches and soluXons that engineers might not iniXally consider, thereby enhancing both the quality and relevance of their work.

There is a recogniXon that AI will handle more tasks, potenXally making certain job roles obsolete and leading to a signiﬁcant shi^ in the workforce.

The integraXon of AI in the engineering industry is poised to bring about signiﬁcant changes, both in terms of job creaXon and job eliminaXon. Roles focused on AI/ML model monitoring, data analysis, and the formaXon of cross-funcXonal teams are anXcipated to emerge.

Here is the link to the report : https://cmrindia.com/product/from-ai-to-generative-ai/

Commenting on the report’s launch, Ms. Elaina Shekhter, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at EPAM said, “At EPAM, we see AI as a game-changer for modern engineers, and the survey results echo this sentiment. The enthusiasm for AI’s potential to boost careers and productivity is clear, and we’re committed to making this a reality for our engineers. By equipping our engineers to become AI collaborators, not competitors, we will be able to unlock a new era of innovation and efficiency, where they leverage AI’s power to automate mundane tasks, gain deeper data-driven insights, and focus on the truly creative and strategic aspects of engineering. Ultimately, AI is the future of engineering and EPAM is here to empower our engineers to lead the way.”

Commenting on the study findings, Mr. Prabhu Ram, Head – Industry Intelligence Group (IIG) at CyberMedia Research (CMR) said, “This EPAM and CMR study is a significant step forward in its focus on enterprise AI adoption and its impact on modern engineers. The study findings illustrate a growing optimism among engineers who see AI as a tool to enhance their careers and productivity, not replace them. The emphasis on continuous learning and development is crucial. Organizations would need to step-up, and equip engineers with the necessary skills to collaborate effectively with AI. This human- AI partnership will be key to unlocking the transformative potential of AI in engineering and driving future innovation.”

Mr. Srinivas Reddy, Managing Director at EPAM India further added, “EPAM is the home of the modern engineer, and our survey findings on AI adoption resonate deeply. Engineers see the immense potential of AI to boost careers and productivity, and companies need to bridge the knowledge gap and equip our engineers with the skills and support they need to thrive in the AI era. The survey reinforces our commitment to continuous learning and development. By providing comprehensive training resources, fostering a culture of collaboration and addressing head-on anxieties around job security, we can empower our engineers to not only understand AI but also leverage its power to become even more innovative and productive. After all, AI should not be seen as a replacement but, as a powerful tool that can elevate the work our engineers do.”