Gartner has outlined six key strategic trends that software engineering leaders should prioritize to accelerate innovation and implement future-ready engineering practices. These trends emphasize the growing role of AI, talent strategies, and sustainability.
1. AI-Native Software Engineering
AI will be embedded across the entire software development life cycle, enabling autonomous or semi-autonomous task execution. By 2028, 90% of enterprise developers are expected to use AI code assistants, shifting their roles toward orchestration, problem-solving, and system design while balancing human oversight with automation.
2. Building LLM-Based Applications and Agents
Large language models (LLMs) are enabling software to interact more intelligently and autonomously. Gartner predicts that by 2027, 55% of engineering teams will build LLM-based features. Successful adoption will require rethinking strategies, upskilling teams, and implementing robust guardrails for risk management.
3. GenAI Platform Engineering
Organizations will increasingly integrate generative AI (GenAI) capabilities into internal developer platforms, with 70% of platform teams expected to do so by 2027. This trend supports discoverability, security, and governance while accelerating AI-powered application development.
4. Maximizing Talent Density
High talent density—building teams with a high concentration of skilled professionals—will be a crucial differentiator. Organizations should go beyond traditional hiring to foster a culture of continuous learning and collaboration, enabling greater adaptability and customer value delivery.
5. Growth of Open GenAI Models and Ecosystem
Open GenAI models are gaining traction for their flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and freedom from vendor lock-in. By 2028, Gartner forecasts 30% of global GenAI spending will target open models customized for domain-specific needs, making advanced AI more accessible and affordable.
6. Green Software Engineering
Green software engineering will become vital to meet sustainability goals, focusing on carbon-efficient and carbon-aware practices across the entire software lifecycle. As GenAI adoption increases compute workloads, building sustainable and energy-efficient applications is essential.
Gartner highlights that software engineering leaders who act on these trends now will gain a competitive advantage, future-proofing their engineering practices and driving long-term success.