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The 2026 Developer Survey is now open (for human developers only)!
Stack OverflowRyan Donovan
Summary
The 2026 Developer Survey is open to gather data on software builders' tools, working lives, and emerging practices. Marking fifteen years since its initial 2011 release, the annual survey focuses heavily on the role of artificial intelligence and autonomous agents across the software development lifecycle. Past survey results indicated that while developer adoption of AI and agents doubled, user trust declined alongside escalating concerns regarding generated code quality. In addition to modern AI trends and financial return considerations, the questionnaire maintains traditional inquiries regarding day-to-day technologies and developer workflows. The survey is hosted on the Qualtrics platform, which requires users to pause third-party ad blockers and adheres to regional access restrictions across multiple countries.
Context
The annual developer survey tracks evolving industry trends, expanding from mobile platforms and company size in 2011 to cloud platforms, data science, remote work, and artificial intelligence. Recent data showed increasing AI adoption and doubled agent usage alongside declining trust and growing concerns about AI-generated code.
Approach / What changed
The 2026 survey uses Qualtrics to gather developer sentiment regarding AI integration in the software development lifecycle, return on investment, and standard technology usage. Participants are instructed to disable third-party ad-blocking plugins to prevent survey errors.
Takeaways
- Past survey data revealed that developer AI usage rose while trust fell, with agent usage doubling alongside growing concerns regarding AI-generated code.
- The 2026 survey investigates where AI fits within the software development lifecycle, its impact on working life, and shifts toward return on investment.
- The Qualtrics survey platform requires users to disable or whitelist ad blockers to avoid errors and blocks access from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Crimea.
Related reading
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