As the world races towards 2025, Developer examines what lies ahead for software development in the new year.
Among the most pressing trends for 2025 are AI development simplification, the integration of cross-functional engineering teams, and the evolution of DevSecOps practices. These shifts promise to redefine how companies approach innovation, security, and efficiency in their development pipelines.
AI-powered development simplification
Avthar Sewrathan, AI Product Lead at Timescale, predicts a significant transformation in the tech stack landscape by 2025.
“The traditional tech stack will continue to collapse,” Sewrathan notes, highlighting advancements driven by APIs and tools that reduce complexity and enable faster development. This shift is anticipated to empower engineers of all skill levels to create impactful AI applications with ease.
“By 2025, the traditional tech stack will continue to collapse, fueled by APIs and tools that reduce complexity and enable faster development,” Sewrathan explains. “Companies that deliver frictionless, accessible solutions with low barriers to entry will empower engineers to create impactful AI apps, no matter their level of expertise.”
Developer role evolution
Indu Keri, General Manager and Head of Engineering for Hybrid Cloud at Nutanix, envisions a new era of software development starting in 2025.
“Software development and engineering is already being democratised with tools like Copilot,” Keri says.
By combining GenAI with low-code solutions, code will be abstracted to the point of irrelevance. AI will generate applications rather than code, enabling developers to step into strategic roles.
“The day-to-day for developers will change drastically,” Keri notes. “No longer hamstrung by grunt work, developers will step into an up-leveled, strategic role—communicating with decision-makers about how tech can solve business problems.”
Agentic AI and DevOps automation
The hype around agentic AI will reach boiling point in 2025 as organisations bundle specialised agents for different stages of software delivery, including code generation, testing, and quality assurance. This orchestrator-driven approach will drive a more intelligent approach to DevOps automation.
Martin Reynolds, Field CTO of Harness, says: “Instead of having one, basic GenAI assistant, organisations will bundle together specialised agents for the different stages of software delivery—such as code generation, testing, and quality assurance.”
Integration of cross-functional engineering teams
Moving beyond AI development, the prediction for cross-functional engineering teams is another area of significant change. Reynolds outlines a future where standalone DevOps teams are phased out in favour of more holistic groups that include representation from all engineering disciplines.
“In 2025, organisations will move away from standalone DevOps teams towards more holistic groups that include representation from all engineering disciplines,” Reynolds explains.
Evolution of DevSecOps practices
The software development landscape is also witnessing a significant evolution in DevSecOps practices.
Dylan Thomas, Senior Director of Product Engineering at OpenText Cybersecurity, predicts that, by 2025, DevSecOps will evolve beyond the “shift-left” paradigm to embrace a more mature “shift everywhere” approach.
This shift will require organisations to apply the right tools at the right stages of the DevSecOps cycle, improving efficiency and effectiveness in security practices.
Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) maturity
One of the critical components in this evolving landscape is the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).
Government mandates are driving organisations to adopt SBOMs at scale, requiring them not only to generate these documents but also to make them actionable.
PostgreSQL’s role in managing complex data types
PostgreSQL’s extension capabilities are also anticipated to play a significant role in managing complex data types in one place.
“In 2025, PostgreSQL will solidify its position as the go-to ‘everything database’—the first to fully integrate AI functionality like embeddings directly within its core ecosystem,” says Avthar Sewrathan, AI Product Lead at Timescale.
“This will streamline data workflows, eliminate the need for external processing tools, and enable businesses to manage complex data types in one place.”
Diverse app stores will reshape mobile distribution
The app store ecosystem is poised for a significant shift as mobile carriers are expected to regain their influence over app distribution.
Matt Tubergen, EVP of Global Strategy & Partnerships at Digital Turbine, said: “The app store ecosystem is set to shift away from an Apple and Google duopoly to an open landscape as mobile carriers regain the power to connect consumers with apps.”
Emerging regulatory changes are also playing a critical role in leveling the playing field. These include bans that prevent tech giants like Google from incentivising app store preloads, which allow carriers and device manufacturers to preload their own apps on new devices.
Emergence of xOps
The convergence of DevOps, DataOps, and ModelOps into a new “xOps” paradigm is expected as more traditional applications adopt AI capabilities.
“This new-found set of dependencies will dramatically accelerate ‘AI-aware’ Release Orchestration while also challenging operations teams, support teams, QA teams, and more as the line between more traditional declarative applications blur with the new dependencies to LLMs and GenAI capabilities,” explains Derek Holt, CEO of Digital.ai.
Increasing security challenges
While AI-generated code can significantly increase developer efficiency, it also introduces security risks due to increased volume of code that must still be tested for vulnerabilities and errors.
“While research has shown that generative AI can halve the time it takes developers to complete coding tasks, the increased volume of code being produced must still be tested for vulnerabilities and errors,” warns Holt.
“This will increase security risk and lead to additional toil in the later stages of delivery, wiping out any efficiency gains from AI-generated code.”
Heightened regulatory scrutiny
Despite the increasing security challenges, a failure to secure software could have ever more serious repercussions. In light of increasing awareness and demand for reliable software systems, developers must prepare for heightened regulatory scrutiny.
Martin Reynolds, Field CTO of Harness, comments: “In the wake of the CrowdStrike outage, there will be an increase in regulatory pressure around poor-quality software.”
By adopting these strategies, organisations not only bolster software resilience but also enhance trust and brand loyalty among consumers. As regulations evolve to emphasise software reliability akin to cybersecurity standards, being proactive will be key to supporting business growth and staying ahead of regulatory measures. This approach not only mitigates risks but positions companies favorably in a landscape where quality is increasingly synonymous with competitive advantage.
Overall, the predictions for 2025 paint a picture of an industry bracing for radical transformation—driven by advancements in AI development, cross-functional engineering teams, and mature DevSecOps practices. These changes promise to accelerate innovation while enhancing security and user experience across industries.
The original content of the note was published on Developer-tech.com. To read the full note visit here
