Many developers are jumping on the AI bandwagon, with 84% saying they use or plan to use AI tools this year. That’s a rise from 76% in 2024. But there’s a catch — not everyone trusts these AI outputs. In fact, nearly half of those surveyed (46%) say they don’t trust AI to give accurate results, up from 31% last year.

This year’s survey from Stack Overflow, now in its fifteenth year, took a closer look at AI. They added 15 new questions to explore how developers feel about AI and its role in coding. The results show a clear divide: more people are using AI, but many are wary of how reliable it really is. The CEO of Stack Overflow, Prashanth Chandrasekar, pointed out that trust in AI is a big concern. He explained that while AI is powerful, it can also spread misinformation or produce results that don’t quite hit the mark.

The survey received over 49,000 responses from 177 countries. It covered 62 questions about hundreds of technologies, including new topics like AI agents and large language models (LLMs). These tools are transforming how developers work, but not everyone is on board.

A significant number of developers (64%) don’t see AI as a threat to their jobs, though this is a slight dip from 68% in 2024. When it comes to frustrations, the biggest issue is AI solutions that are “almost right,” with 66% citing this problem. Nearly half (45%) find debugging AI-generated code more time-consuming than traditional coding.

AI agents are a hot topic. Just over half of developers (52%) either don’t use them or prefer simpler AI tools. But among those who do use AI agents, most report positive impacts. About 70% say these agents helped cut down time spent on tasks, and 69% feel they boosted their productivity. Still, only 38% believe AI agents improved their code quality.

Most developers aren’t engaging in vibe coding — a method focused on a relaxed, creative coding experience — with 72% saying they’re not currently vibing while they code. When it comes to tools, Visual Studio Code remains the favorite IDE for 76% of developers, followed by Visual Studio at 29%. AI-powered IDEs like Cursor, Claude Code, and Windsurf are gaining ground, with adoption rates of 18%, 10%, and 5%, respectively.

In terms of language use, Python is still king, used by 58% of respondents, and its adoption is growing faster than ever — up 7% from last year. Additionally, 69% of developers have spent time learning new languages or coding techniques in the past year, showing a strong inclination toward continuous learning.

The rise of generative AI tools is transforming software development. Companies like GitHub are shifting their billing models for AI tools like Copilot to usage-based plans, signaling a new era in enterprise AI costs. As AI continues to evolve, developers are balancing its potential to boost productivity with concerns about trust and accuracy.

Inspired by

• https://www.infoworld.com/article/4031673/ai-use-among-software-developers-grows-but-trust-remains-an-issue-stack-overflow-survey.html

Sources

• gmpg.org
• stackoverflow.co
• podigee.com
• podigee.com