New study shows concerning rise in developer burnout — and growing distrust in how AI may affect their jobs
Worldwide developer survey reveals growing concerns over AI and an army of coders who feel close to burning out.
A new industry survey has uncovered growing distrust in AI and concerns about developer fatigue and burnout. The Stack Overflow Developer Survey, which compiled responses from 30,000 developers across 169 countries, shows that 45.1% of developers feel complacent in their current roles, with 21.1% citing burnout or fatigue as the primary cause.
While remote work remains popular, 32.6% of respondents describe themselves as unhappy, highlighting unclear priorities that may contribute to overall fatigue. Despite developers being enthusiastic about learning new skills, with 52% having acquired a new coding language in the past year, they remain cautious about AI's impact on their jobs.
Approximately 17.2% of developers do not use AI tools, while 65.9% employ assistants or agents. However, 17% express concern that AI may replace them. Stack Overflow's CEO, Prashanth Chandrasekar, emphasizes that developers' historically skeptical nature has turned into a critical safeguard as AI agents become more autonomous. He stresses the need for transparency, source attribution, and rich technical context to build trust in AI systems.
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