New data from O’Reilly indicates that technology professionals in the United Kingdom are shifting their learning focus toward artificial intelligence (AI) as programming practices evolve.
Analysis of platform usage between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026 shows that Generative AI content usage in the UK grew by 89%. AI and Machine Learning overall increased by 51%, while Data topics accounted for 31% of all UK platform usage, making it the largest category.
Alexia Pedersen, Senior Vice President International at O’Reilly, noted that the findings reflect a workforce moving quickly toward AI. She explained that many UK professionals already have years of programming experience, which enables them to adopt AI tools with confidence and apply them effectively.
While some established programming topics declined year-on-year, O’Reilly emphasized that this does not indicate a loss of coding skills. Instead, the organization suggested that experienced developers are learning differently, often through AI-powered assistants and chatbots integrated into development environments. This allows them to solve problems in real time while dedicating formal training time to emerging areas such as Generative AI.
Programming Fundamentals declined 73% in the UK, while Agile dropped 31% and Git fell 20%. O’Reilly interpreted these declines as evidence of developers relying more on AI-assisted workflows. At the same time, Natural Language Processing sessions grew 117%, highlighting strong engagement with applied areas of AI.
O’Reilly cautioned that AI fluency should complement, not replace, foundational programming knowledge. This is particularly important for early-career developers, as overreliance on AI tools could weaken the ability to review, debug, and improve code.
Pedersen added that UK professionals are actively incorporating AI into their work, building agents, testing approaches, and exploring productivity gains. She stressed that many learners are building on existing programming foundations rather than starting from scratch.
Despite the shift toward AI, employer demand for core programming skills remains strong. React, Node.js, and Java continue to be among the most requested technologies in UK job postings. Cloud certifications also remain valued as evidence of technical capability.
Learning trends show continued investment in practical coding skills. Clean Code grew 19% year-on-year in the UK, while C# increased 17%. These figures suggest that developers are maintaining core engineering practices even as AI becomes a larger focus.
Pedersen concluded that the UK tech workforce is building on its engineering expertise to take advantage of AI opportunities. She emphasized that while AI can enhance productivity, it cannot replace the technical judgment that comes from understanding how software functions.
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