Forrester's 2025 Predictions: AI's Impact on Automation and Software Development

Generative AI to Drive Automation and Software Development in 2025

Forrester's latest predictions for 2025 highlight the significant impact of generative AI (genAI) on automation and software development. The research firm anticipates a year of sustained interest and experimentation in AI, leading to steady progress and learning opportunities 1

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Automation Trends and Challenges

In the automation sector, Forrester predicts that genAI and edge intelligence will fuel robotics projects, combining cognitive and physical automation. Citizen developers are expected to leverage their domain expertise to build genAI-infused automation apps. However, the implementation of these technologies is not without challenges 1

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Key questions that organizations will grapple with include:

1. Determining the appropriate level of autonomy to balance risk and efficiency
2. Deciding how and when to incorporate human oversight
3. Developing reliable methods for extracting and providing enterprise data for AI

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding AI agents, businesses are expected to achieve only moderate success in 2025, primarily in less critical employee support applications. The full potential of genAI in creating autonomous, unstructured workflow patterns and adapting to dynamic real-world processes is likely to remain unrealized in the short term 1

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Software Development Evolution

In the software development realm, Forrester's predictions indicate a significant shift driven by genAI. The past year has seen widespread incorporation of genAI "copilot" capabilities into software tooling, with 49% of developers either using or planning to use genAI assistants in the coding phase 2

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Forrester refers to these genAI coding assistants as TuringBots and anticipates their influence extending beyond coding to all phases of software delivery. The research firm even suggests that genAI will redefine the very nature of software development over the next decade 2

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Key Strategies for Success

To navigate these changes successfully, Forrester emphasizes the importance of balancing AI innovation with the scale and reliability of traditional automation tools and methods. Organizations are advised to:

1. Carefully select appropriate use cases for their specific needs
2. Prepare for the integration of physical robots, digital systems, and human endpoints
3. Maintain a balanced approach to manage the risks and rewards of automation

As 2025 approaches, it's clear that while genAI presents exciting opportunities in automation and software development, organizations must approach its implementation with caution and strategic planning to maximize benefits while mitigating potential risks 1

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