A recent survey of over 49,000 developers in 177 countries has revealed a concerning trend: while the use of AI tools is on the rise, trust in these tools is dwindling. According to the Stack Overflow 2025 Developer Survey, 84% of developers now use or plan to use AI tools, up from 76% last year. However, only 33% of developers trust AI accuracy, down from 43% in 2024.
The survey highlights a significant gap between the adoption of AI tools and the trust developers have in their outputs. The top complaint about AI tools is that they produce "almost right" solutions that require extensive debugging, cited by 66% of respondents. Additionally, 45% of developers report that debugging AI-generated code takes longer than expected.
Trust in AI tools varies by region, with Indian developers showing the highest level of trust at 56%, while UK developers are among the most skeptical, with only 23% trusting AI output. When AI tools fail, developers are turning to human expertise and community resources, with 75% seeking help from humans and 35% visiting Stack Overflow.
The survey suggests that AI tools are not replacing human developers but rather augmenting their work. Companies that invest in processes to verify AI outputs and improve debugging will likely benefit from increased productivity and better code quality. As AI continues to play a larger role in software development, addressing the trust gap will be crucial for the industry's future.
