Most developers working with the Go programming language are trying out AI-powered coding tools, but their overall satisfaction remains moderate. A recent survey from 2025 highlights that while many are using these tools regularly, their experiences vary. The survey gathered responses from over 5,700 Go programmers, providing a snapshot of current trends and opinions.

Usage and Satisfaction with AI Coding Tools

The survey shows that about 55% of Go developers feel somewhat satisfied with AI-assisted development tools, but only 13% say they are very satisfied. Many users find these tools helpful for certain tasks like generating boilerplate code, writing unit tests, and improving autocompletion. However, frustration arises when the tools produce non-functional code or low-quality results, with over half of respondents citing non-working code as their main issue.

Interestingly, around 30% of developers reported that even the code generated by AI tools that does work tends to be of poor quality. Despite these challenges, a significant portion of users—53%—are using AI coding assistants daily, while nearly 30% are either not using them much or not at all.

The most popular AI assistants include ChatGPT, used by 45% of respondents, followed by GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Claude, and Gemini. These tools are primarily used to speed up coding, generate tests, and assist with refactoring and documentation tasks.

Attitudes Toward the Go Language and Development Trends

Despite mixed feelings about AI tools, developers are largely satisfied with Go itself. Nearly two-thirds of respondents described their experience with the language as very positive, with an overall satisfaction rate of 91%. Many appreciate Go’s simplicity and minimalism, which they feel makes it a reliable choice for long-term projects.

A common sentiment among users is that Go’s straightforward design helps avoid the complexity found in other languages. One developer mentioned that Go’s small size and fewer features make it a solid foundation for building software, contrasting it with more complicated options that feel less helpful.

The survey also highlights what types of projects are most common with Go. The top categories are command-line tools and API or RPC services, followed by libraries and frameworks. Developers also face some frustrations, such as ensuring their code follows best practices, missing features found in other languages, and difficulty finding trustworthy modules and packages.

Most developers work on macOS or Linux systems, and they tend to deploy their applications on Linux-based platforms. Visual Studio Code remains the favorite code editor, with GoLand and Vim/NeoVim also popular choices. When it comes to deployment, cloud providers like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud are frequently used, along with company-owned servers.

Overall, the survey paints a picture of a community that values Go’s simplicity but is still exploring how AI tools can better serve their needs. While many are embracing the new technology, there’s room for improvement in AI’s ability to produce consistently high-quality code. Developers continue to see Go as a reliable and long-lasting language, even as they experiment with ways to streamline their workflows using AI assistance.

Inspired by

• https://www.infoworld.com/article/4121617/go-developers-mixed-on-ai-coding-tools-survey.html

Sources

• unsplash.com
• go.dev