State of PostgreSQL 2024: PostgreSQL and AI

Over the course of 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) continued to dominate conversations in the tech world, and PostgreSQL developers were no exception. The 2024 State of PostgreSQL survey provided intriguing insights into how developers are using PostgreSQL for AI, the tools they prefer, and their evolving attitudes toward integrating AI into their workflows. 

Here’s a sneak peek of what we learned. You can read the complete 2024 State of PostgreSQL report here.

PostgreSQL and AI: Adoption on the Rise

This year’s survey revealed that AI is becoming a cornerstone in the PostgreSQL community:

• 55.3 % of developers now use AI tools in their development process, a significant jump from 36.9 % in 2023. This 18.4 percentage point increase underscores AI's growing role in enhancing productivity and tackling complex challenges.
• Conversely, the percentage of developers not using AI tools dropped dramatically from 63 % to 44.7 %, reflecting a clear trend toward adoption.

Why PostgreSQL for AI Applications?

When asked why they chose PostgreSQL for their AI workloads, the community emphasized familiar themes:

1. Storing vectors alongside other data types: 78.6 % of respondents highlighted this unique capability as the top reason.
2. Ease of use: 56 % pointed to PostgreSQL’s simplicity and accessibility.
3. SQL query language: trusted by 53.6 % of developers, SQL remains a key factor.
4. Support for vector search and time-series data: valued by 33.3 %.
5. Ecosystem and integrations: cited by 31 % of respondents.

These results align with 2023’s findings, reinforcing PostgreSQL’s reputation as a versatile and robust database for AI and large language model (LLM) workloads.

👉 If you're building AI applications using PostgreSQL, check out our "Easy Mode" open-source AI stack, our picks of the most developer-friendly models and tools.

Shifting Attitudes Toward AI

While most developers are embracing AI, attitudes vary:

• 48 % expressed favorable views of AI tools in development, up three percentage points from last year.
• A smaller group remains neutral (26 %), while 25 % voiced unfavorable opinions, a slight increase from 2023.

These numbers highlight a growing appreciation for AI’s potential, coupled with ongoing concerns around its implementation and ethical considerations.

What’s Next for PostgreSQL and AI?

As AI adoption grows, so does the need for robust, scalable, and developer-friendly solutions. PostgreSQL’s ability to store vectors alongside other data types, combined with its familiar SQL interface, makes it an ideal choice for AI and LLM workloads, especially if you're looking for an open-source AI stack.

At Timescale, we’re excited to continue using PostgreSQL for Everything and providing others with the tools to do so. This is the goal of our AI-focused extensions, pgai (with pgai Vectorizer) and pgvectorscale.

What do you think about these trends? Read the complete 2024 State of PostgreSQL report and let us know! You can join the conversation in our Timescale Community Slack. If you’re already building AI applications with PostgreSQL, join our Postgres for AI Discord, where you can share what you’re working on and help or get helped by a community of peers.