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Zapier reports that one in three people using AI tools to ship software lack a formal programming background, showcasing how AI enables non-developers to create functional projects quickly.
The research revealed several key trends: 34% of individuals developing and deploying software using AI tools have no formal programming education or prior experience as a developer or engineer. More than half of these non-traditional builders are creating tools intended for external use by customers or the general public. A significant 72% of these non-traditional developers confirm that their AI-built tools are not one-time projects but remain actively utilized today. Additionally, 20% of non-traditional builders who leverage AI skills reported receiving a promotion or a salary increase as a direct result of their newfound capabilities.
AI has advanced to a point where individuals without formal programming education can effectively build, refine, and deploy applications using AI tools, often within days or even hours. Approximately one in three (34%) people involved in software development at work, utilizing AI tools, do not possess a formal programming background. This signifies they haven't completed college coursework in programming or held a prior role as a developer or engineer. These 'non-traditional builders' commonly leverage general-purpose chatbots (78%) such as ChatGPT or Claude, AI coding assistants (70%) integrated into existing coding tools like GitHub Copilot, and specialized AI coding software (60%) like Cursor. A notable challenge they face is securely integrating their AI-built tools with other company systems without compromising authentication details, highlighting the need for robust AI integration layers.
Generally, individuals without formal programming backgrounds who build with AI tend to create basic applications with broad utility. Their most common creations include data analysis or visualization tools (61%), forms, surveys, or other data collection tools (57%), and AI-powered chatbots or assistants (53%). Impressively, 30% of these non-traditional builders can translate an initial idea into a functional tool in less than a day. Furthermore, about half (49%) have deployed four or more tools in the past year, indicating consistent productivity. Critically, over half (56%) of the tools developed by non-traditional builders are intended for use by customers or the wider public, in contrast to just 44% being for internal organizational use. This demonstrates a significant impact on external-facing applications.
One might assume that software developed by individuals without extensive coding experience would quickly become obsolete or problematic. However, the data shows that more than half (72%) of non-traditional builders confirm that most, or even all, of the tools they have created are still actively in use today, with about a quarter (25%) reporting all their tools are still functioning. Despite this success, AI coding still presents significant challenges. Nearly everyone, whether with formal experience (90%) or without (87%), has encountered a major coding challenge with AI at some point. The most frequent issues reported by non-traditional builders are code errors or bugs (39%), security and data privacy concerns (37%), and incorrect or unusable outputs (34%). The security and data privacy concerns are particularly alarming, especially when operational managers or finance leads are deploying tools that could potentially access or handle sensitive company data without proper IT oversight.
Executives are increasingly encouraging their teams to embrace AI, and this initiative is yielding direct benefits for employees. One-fifth (20%) of non-traditional builders reported that their AI skills directly contributed to them receiving a promotion or a salary raise recently. Beyond financial incentives, these individuals also cited other significant advantages: 37% feel more confident in taking on challenging tasks outside their defined job descriptions, 34% perceive they have a competitive edge over peers who aren't using AI tools, 28% have discovered new career opportunities, and 26% received formal recognition from their managers or leadership for their AI-driven work. Furthermore, 60% of non-traditional builders believe their use of AI tools has increased their value to their organization, and 67% plan to continue using AI tools in the next one to two years, with 34% expecting to increase their usage significantly.
The current landscape shows that a substantial third of individuals who are deploying software today do not originate from traditional technical backgrounds. These individuals are actively learning and adapting as they go, and in many instances, their efforts are leading to career advancements and recognition. The barrier to entry for software development has dramatically decreased due to AI tools, and this trend is unlikely to reverse. The crucial aspect now is to select the appropriate tools that ensure security and proper integration, empowering more individuals to innovate and create functional software without needing extensive coding knowledge. The only remaining question is what new innovations will emerge from this broadened pool of builders.
The survey underlying these findings was conducted by Centiment on behalf of Zapier. It was fielded between May 8 and May 11, 2026, and gathered a total of 818 completed surveys. To be eligible, respondents had to be U.S. workers who had personally developed or deployed a functional tool or application for work within the past 12 months, specifically utilizing AI coding tools such as Cursor, Claude Code, or GitHub Copilot. The collected data is unweighted. The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately ±3% at a 95% confidence level. This story was produced by Zapier and subsequently reviewed and distributed by Stacker.