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Getting ready for 2026 results: A look back on Developer Survey findings
Summary
Drawing on 15 years of data, the post compares 2024 and 2025 Developer Survey findings across AI evolution, work settings, and community demographics ahead of the 2026 results. AI tool usage grew from 62% in 2024 to 79% in 2025, while agent adoption jumped from 31% in 2025 to 59% in an April 2026 pulse survey, with ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot as primary gateways. Among learners, AI tool use rose from 63% to 73.3%, but favorable sentiment dropped from 72.2% to 52.8% and confidence in output accuracy declined, signaling growing skepticism. Work settings evolved, with fully remote falling from 38% to 32.4% and hybrid models gaining ground, yet 82% of respondents retained some remote flexibility in 2025. The post raises open questions for the 2026 survey, including whether the gap between AI use and enthusiasm persists and how agent delegation affects developer workflows.
Context
The post is a retrospective analysis of Stack Overflow Developer Survey data from 2024 and 2025, preparing for the 2026 survey release. It examines three themes: AI tool adoption and sentiment, work setting trends, and community demographics. The data shows increasing AI usage but declining enthusiasm, especially among learners, and a shift toward hybrid work models.
Takeaways
AI tool usage among developers increased from 62% in 2024 to 79% in 2025, and agent adoption surged from 31% in 2025 to 59% in an April 2026 pulse survey.
Among learners, AI tool use rose from 63% to 73.3% between 2024 and 2025, but favorable sentiment dropped from 72.2% to 52.8%, and confidence in output accuracy declined.
Fully remote work dropped from 38% in 2024 to 32.4% in 2025, while hybrid models became more common; 82% of respondents had some remote flexibility in 2025.
FAQ
How much did AI agent usage grow between 2025 and 2026?
According to the post, AI agent usage among developers almost doubled from 31% in the 2025 Developer Survey to 59% in an April 2026 pulse survey. This growth was driven by daily users and those in executive roles.
What are the most popular AI tools among developers?
In the 2025 survey, ChatGPT was used by 82% of respondents using out-of-the-box assistants, followed by GitHub Copilot at 68%. Google Gemini trailed at 47%, Claude Code at 41%, and Microsoft Copilot at 31%.
How did learner sentiment toward AI tools change from 2024 to 2025?
Favorable sentiment among learners dropped from 72.2% in 2024 to 52.8% in 2025, while skepticism quadrupled from 6.4% to 26.3%. Confidence in output accuracy also declined, with moderate or high trust falling from 49.1% to 37.4%.
Source and freshness
- Source
- stackoverflow.blog
- Published
- Added to Yomu
Summaries are generated from the original by a language model. Check the original before relying on it.
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