Platform engineering report highlights AI role in IT growth

Red Hat has published its report on the "State of Platform Engineering in the Age of AI," revealing trends in platform engineering spurred by the rise of generative AI.

The report, based on a survey of 1,000 platform engineers and IT decision makers around the globe, shows how platform engineering is evolving across organisations of varying sizes and industries. It provides insights into areas such as the adoption of platform engineering practices, outcomes from its implementation, and how artificial intelligence technologies are influencing these initiatives.

A key finding from the report is that experience and maturity in platform engineering significantly impact an organisation's productivity, security, and compliance. The Platform Engineering Maturity Index classifies organisations into four stages: Exploring, Emerging, Established, and Advanced. According to the survey, only 14% of respondents identified their organisation as being in the Exploring stage, indicating that most have started to implement platform engineering practices.

The survey highlights that organisations at the Advanced stage report considerable benefits. Specifically, 54% of these organisations have observed increased innovation, while some 51% have noticed improvements in security and compliance. In contrast, only 15% of those in the Exploring stage reported similar gains.

Generative AI is noted as a strategic priority within the realm of platform engineering. The report shows that 34% of organisations view generative AI as important for their platform engineering efforts, while 45% regard it as central. This signifies a growing recognition of AI's role in fostering innovation and efficiency within platform engineering.

The influence of generative AI is prompting organisations to adapt tools, processes, and team responsibilities, enabling developers and data scientists to fully utilise this technology. Having robust platform engineering and DevOps practices is considered crucial for developing AI-powered applications swiftly, the report showed.

Security and collaboration emerge as primary motivators for the adoption of platform engineering. Nearly half of the respondents indicated that they are drawn to platform engineering due to its ability to bolster security (48%) and facilitate collaboration (44%) within development teams. These benefits are especially pronounced in more mature organisations, which see increased developer productivity and enhanced security and compliance.

As organisations progress in their platform engineering journey, they are experiencing the benefits these practices offer. The advantages of platform engineering appear set to grow as artificial intelligence continues to play a larger role in IT strategies. Organisations with established platform engineering practices appear well-prepared to navigate these changes in software development.