US-based software developers are the world’s most prolific users of AI coding assistants, a trend that researchers believe has national economic implications. A study analyzing 80 million code submissions to GitHub between 2018 and 2024 found that 30.1 percent of US-sourced Python functions were AI-generated in 2024.
The study, led by Simone Daniotti, Johannes Wachs, Xiangnan Feng, and Frank Neffke, also revealed that the US is ahead of other countries in using AI coding assistants, with Germany coming in second at 24.3 percent. The authors estimate that if developers use AI for 30 percent of their code, quarterly commits rise by 2.4 percent.
The study suggests that the annual value of AI-assisted coding in the United States could be between $9.6-$14.4 billion, aligning with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s claim that about 30 percent of Microsoft code is written by AI. However, the authors note that their estimates have limitations and may not capture the full impact of AI on productivity.
The study also highlights the potential economic benefit of increased productivity, with estimates suggesting a $64 billion to $96 billion annual boost. While some researchers argue that AI’s impact on productivity may be modest, the study suggests that AI adoption leads to increased experimentation with new software libraries and expansions in developer knowledge.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/19/us_coders_lead_world_in_ai