Python has reached an all-time high in popularity according to the TIOBE index, a metric that measures programming language ranking by the number of skilled engineers, courses, and third-party vendors. The index, led by CEO Paul Jansen, now awards Python a 26.14% rating, which is significantly higher than its closest competitors: C++ at 9.18% and C at 9.03%. This surge in Python’s popularity coincides with the rise of AI code assistants, such as Microsoft Copilot, Cursor, and Google Gemini Code Assist, which have been found to be 20% more effective for popular languages due to the extensive availability of code for training their models.
The shift to AI-assisted coding tools has led to a consolidation of languages at the top of the TIOBE index, with Python maintaining its position as the dominant language. The first six languages on the list have remained unchanged since last year, though SQL has dropped from #7 to #12, as Visual Basic and Go have risen in rankings. Meanwhile, Perl has experienced a notable comeback, moving from #25 to #9 in the index. While TIOBE CEO Jansen confirmed the increase in Perl’s popularity, he admitted that the exact reasons for the trend are still unclear, suggesting that factors beyond data availability may be at play.
The growing reliance on AI in the development process underscores a significant trend in the programming community: the preference for languages that offer robust support through extensive documentation and libraries. As the use of these tools becomes more widespread, developers are increasingly opting for languages that provide more resources and assistance, which are often the more established and widely used ones. This dynamic has not only reinforced Python’s position but also led to an unexpected rise in Perl’s popularity, hinting at a more nuanced evolution in how developers choose and adopt programming languages.
Stanford University’s Yegor Denisov-Blanch conducted a study that further supports this trend, showing that AI-assisted coding tools are more effective when used with popular programming languages due to the availability of more training data. This has influenced the TIOBE index, as languages like Python benefit from this data influx, making them more attractive for both new and experienced developers. While the future of Perl’s rise remains uncertain, its increasing popularity reflects a broader shift in the software development landscape, driven by the integration of AI-assisted coding into the daily workflows of programmers.