The O'Reilly Technology Trends for 2025 Report is based on annual usage data from O’Reilly’s online learning platform data. It reveals a "dynamic landscape of developer learning", with AI technologies driving the most significant shifts. 

The O'Reilly Learning Platform is an online learning platform that includes over 60,000 eBooks, 30,000 hours of video courses, live online training, and more with content created and curated by industry experts and thought leaders. It uses interactive exercises, code challenges, and hands-on projects and offers personalized learning paths and recommendations based on your interests and goals and is claimed to have 2.8 million users. 

O'Reilly Media first published a Technology Trends Report a year ago. While it covered other areas of interest, notably security and programming languages, which we'll return to in a future report, it majored on AI and revealed:

 an unprecedented surge of interest in generative AI among developers, with topic engagement in GPTs—a family of artificial intelligence models—increasing 3,600% year over year.

The new report again leads with AI and in its introduction points out that: 

 ... unlike 2022, when ChatGPT was the only show anyone cared about, we now have many contenders. Claude has emerged as a favorite among programmers. After a shaky start, Google’s Gemini models have become solid performers. Llama has established itself as one of the top models and as the matriarch of a rich ecosystem of open1 models.

Looking at the comparisons between 2023 and 2024, user interest in almost every area of AI had increased. As the chart below shows, from 2023 to 2024, Machine Learning grew by 9.2%; Artificial Intelligence grew by 190% and Natural Language Processing grew by 39%. The exception to this was GPT, which dropped by 13% in usage:

Interest in related skills surged dramatically, with the most pronounced usage increases seen in topics like prompt engineering (456% increase), AI principles (386% increase), and generative AI (289% increase). LangChain, a newcomer to the O'Reilly Platform in 2024 was almost as popular a skill to learn as PyTorch and use of content about GitHub Copilot soared by 471%, reflecting developers’ enthusiasm for tools that enhance productivity.

Summing up what the data tells us about the current state of AI learning, Mike Loukides, vice president of emerging technology content at O’Reilly and the report’s author says:: 

“This year marks a pivotal transition in technology, with AI evolving from generative capabilities to a transformative force reshaping how developers approach their craft.
As foundational skills gain prominence and organizations increasingly adopt comprehensive security practices, professionals must prioritize upskilling to effectively integrate these tools into their operations. The future is not about fearing AI’s impact on jobs but in harnessing its potential to enhance productivity and drive innovation across industries.”

More Information

O'Reilly Technology Trends for 2025 (pdf) 

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