Companies are planning to invest more heavily in AI skills and security governance, risk, and compliance initiatives this upcoming year, according to new research from O’Reilly.
The company’s Technology Trends for 2025 report analyzed data from 2.8 million users on its learning platform.
The research shows significant increases in interest in various AI skills, including prompt engineering with a 456% increase, AI principles with a 386% increase, and generative AI with a 289% increase. O’Reilly also noted that there was a 471% increase in interest in content about GitHub Copilot.
Some AI topics experienced a decrease in interest, however. GPT saw a 13% drop in usage and a downward trend in searches. According to O’Reilly, this may indicate that “developers are prioritizing foundational AI knowledge over platform-specific skills to effectively navigate across various AI models such as Claude, Google’s Gemini, and Llama.”
Security also saw increased interest, with interest in governance, risk, and compliance rising by 44%. Content related to application security increased by 17% and zero trust rose by 13%. The company believes that these trends show that companies are focusing on having more comprehensive security strategies.
Other findings of the report include a 29% increase in data engineering skills, a decline in Python and Java interest, and a plateau in interest in cloud computing.
“This year marks a pivotal transition in technology, with AI evolving from generative capabilities to a transformative force reshaping how developers approach their craft,” said Mike Loukides, vice president of emerging technology content at O’Reilly and the report’s author. “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.”
