AI amplifies what a team already has: strong teams become more efficient, weak teams see existing problems worsen. The DORA 2025 report shows AI boosts throughput but harms stability without solid platforms, feedback loops, and clear workflows.
The 2025 DORA Report makes a single, unsettling claim: AI does not fix teams, it magnifies their current state. Companies with mature platforms, clear workflows, and strong feedback loops see AI lift productivity and delivery speed, while those with tangled architectures and fragile processes watch instability rise as change volume climbs.
Survey data from nearly 5,000 technologists backs this theory. Over 90% now use AI at work and more than 80% report higher productivity, yet 30% still distrust AI-generated code. The report links these outcomes to three levers: internal platform quality, user-centric problem framing, and disciplined engineering practices such as automated testing and version control.
A new seven-archetype model breaks teams into categories ranging from "Foundational challenges"-low performance, high burnout-to "Harmonious high achievers" that excel across stability, speed, and morale. Leaders can use this taxonomy to diagnose health and target interventions.
The DORA AI Capabilities Model adds a practical roadmap: clarify AI policies, embed AI in the organization's context, double down on foundational practices, fortify safety nets, invest in internal platforms, and keep the end-user in focus. By treating AI adoption as an organizational transformation rather than a tool dump, technical leaders can turn AI into a real performance lever.
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