Enterprise AI in Numbers · Talent and workforce
Share of professional software developers who use AI tools
85.7%
85.7% as of 2026, according to Stack Overflow Developer Survey, via Our World in Data, up from 80.8% in 2025. Share of professional developers who say they currently use AI tools in their development process.
What it means for leaders
Using AI is now the norm for professional developers, so the question is how well, not whether. Invest in shared practices, review standards and measurement rather than in adoption campaigns.
What would change the reading: Whether trust in AI output rises with use.
The trend
Every reading
Definition and method
- What it measures
- Share of professional developers who say they currently use AI tools in their development process.
- Population
- Professional developers responding to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey
- Updated
- Annual (survey in May–June)
- Source
- Stack Overflow Developer Survey, via Our World in Data · ODbL 1.0 (Stack Overflow data via Our World in Data)
Caveats
- Survey respondents are self-selected Stack Overflow users.
- Question wording has changed slightly between years.
Cite this
Enterprise AI in Numbers, "Share of professional software developers who use AI tools", https://lucianoayres.com/ai-brief/data/developers-using-ai/, retrieved October 25, 2026. Data: Stack Overflow Developer Survey, via Our World in Data.