Article

Unlocking New Possibilities in Digital Engineering with Generative AI

overview

The rapid evolution of Generative AI is profoundly impacting digital engineering, transforming how organizations design, build, and deploy digital products and solutions. From automating development processes to enhancing user experiences, Generative AI is emerging as a strategic enabler for businesses aiming to stay competitive in the digital era. For CXOs & tech leaders, this technology represents an opportunity to drive innovation, accelerate delivery, and optimize costs in digital engineering. As per Avasant’s Digital Engineering Services 2024 Market Insights, there is a change in customer demand with a preference for hyper personalization and sustainable products. Enterprises are exploring using AI, ML, and analytics to develop personalized experiences.
Generative AI in Digital Engineering: A Game-Changer
Generative AI, powered by advanced models like GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformers) and multimodal AI tools, uses large datasets to create new solutions, designs, or content. This capability aligns perfectly with the demands of digital engineering, where agility, efficiency, and innovation are paramount. According to McKinsey, Generative AI has the potential to add $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy, with a significant portion driven by digital transformation initiatives.
Key Transformations in Digital Engineering

Accelerating Digital Product Development

In digital engineering, speed-to-market is critical. Generative AI enables faster development cycles by automating key tasks, such as code generation, testing, and deployment.

Example:

AI tools like GitHub Copilot provide real-time code suggestions and generate boilerplate code, significantly reducing development time.

Stat Insight:

Developers using AI-powered tools report up to a 55% increase in productivity, according to GitHub research.
This acceleration helps businesses stay ahead in competitive markets by launching products faster without compromising quality.

Enhancing Design and Prototyping

Generative AI is transforming the design phase of digital engineering. By analyzing user behavior and requirements, AI-driven tools can generate prototypes, wireframes, and user interfaces that are intuitive and user-centric.

Example:

Tools like Adobe Firefly and Sketch’s AI integration generate design elements and layouts, helping teams iterate quickly.

Impact:

This reduces time spent on repetitive tasks and allows engineers to focus on refining user experiences.

Optimizing Software Modernization

Legacy system modernization is a key challenge in digital engineering. Generative AI helps by analyzing existing systems and generating optimized architectures for cloud migration, microservices, or containerized environments.

Example:

Generative AI can transform monolithic legacy systems into modular architectures, such as Java/Spring Boot microservices or Kafka-based streaming systems.

Stat Insight:

According to Gartner, organizations using AI for system modernization report a 30-40% reduction in migration costs.

Empowering DevSecOps with Automation

Digital engineering increasingly requires seamless integration of development, security, and operations. Generative AI enhances DevSecOps by automating vulnerability scanning, generating security configurations, and monitoring for anomalies in real-time.

Impact:

AI-driven automation reduces human error, improves system resilience, and ensures compliance with cybersecurity standards.

Trend Insight:

MarketsandMarkets predict that the global DevSecOps market will grow to $23 billion by 2027, driven in part by AI adoption.

Driving Customer-Centric Digital Solutions

Generative AI uses advanced analytics and predictive modeling to design digital solutions tailored to customer needs. AI models analyze vast datasets to identify trends and user preferences, ensuring products align with market demands.

Example:

AI-generated personalization strategies in e-commerce platforms or AI-led customer support in applications powered by natural language processing (NLP).

Impact:

These solutions improve customer satisfaction, drive engagement, and build loyalty.

Fast Tracking Software Development

Generative AI can produce high-quality code snippets, templates, and boilerplates in seconds. It enhances code quality by identifying bugs, vulnerabilities, and inconsistencies in real-time.

Example:

Infinite’s MLeaps automates generation of test case/code/ RTMs once corresponding requirement/design docs are developed. It also leverages the latest Gen AI techniques for time to market advantage. The platform leverages the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) to seamlessly automate and optimize every stage of the software development lifecycle. It ensures absolute accuracy by eliminating the risks of overlooked, mistyped, or misinterpreted requirements.

Impact:

This results in faster time-to-market, improved software quality, and seamless alignment between stakeholders and developers.

The CXO’s Role in Harnessing Generative AI for Digital Engineering

For CXOs, the integration of Generative AI into digital engineering is not just a technological shift—it’s a strategic priority. Here’s how CXOs can lead this transformation:

Define a Clear AI Roadmap

Invest in Talent and Upskilling

Focus on Data Governance

Build AI Partnerships

Challenges and Ethical Considerations in Digital Engineering with AI

While Generative AI offers transformative benefits, organizations must address potential challenges:

Bias and Fairness

Data Privacy

Change Management

Outlook: Generative AI as a Digital Engineering Catalyst

Generative AI is set to play a pivotal role in the future of digital engineering. The integration of AI into every stage of the digital product lifecycle—conceptualization, development, deployment, and optimization—will drive unparalleled efficiencies and innovation.

Stat Insight:

According to Forrester, 70% of enterprises will implement AI in at least one operational function by 2025.

Trend Insight:

AI-powered digital engineering will increasingly rely on hybrid models that combine human creativity with AI precision, enabling faster and more customer-centric solutions.

Conclusion: Shaping the Future with Generative AI

For digital engineering, Generative AI is not just a tool but a transformational force. By leveraging its capabilities, organizations can accelerate innovation, optimize costs, and deliver superior digital experiences.

CXOs must adopt a proactive approach to Generative AI adoption, balancing technical execution with strategic foresight. By doing so, they can position their organizations as leaders in the digital age, delivering value to customers and staying ahead of industry disruption.

“Generative AI is now BAU (Business as Usual) at Infinite and all our existing and upcoming projects are benefiting from it – either as a feature deliverable or as a effort optimization tool”
— Mudit Mathur – VP & CTO, Digital Engineering

Sources:

1. McKinsey Report on Generative AI

2. GitHub Copilot Productivity Insights

3. Gartner AI Modernization Trends

4. Deloitte AI in Software Testing

5. Forrester AI Adoption Statistics

6. MarketsandMarkets DevSecOps Market Report

Author: Prerna Mehta

She is a seasoned marketing professional with over a decade of experience in B2B and B2C strategies across various industries including IT services & BPS. With a focus on driving digital innovation, she has worked with global firms to shape marketing strategies that deliver measurable growth. Her experience spans across creating impactful go-to-market plans, building brand narratives, and fostering client-centric solutions.