A recent survey of 49,009 software developers across 160 countries has revealed a stark reality about the adoption and satisfaction with Artificial Intelligence (AI) coding tools.
While 78.5% of respondents use AI developer tools at least monthly, their opinions on these tools are sharply divided. A majority of 60% expressed favorable or very favorable views, while 20% felt indifferent or unsure, and another 20% had unfavorable or very unfavorable sentiments.
The survey found that the primary frustration with AI tools stems from their inability to deliver fully correct solutions (66%). This frustration is compounded by difficulties in understanding how code works (16%), leading to increased debugging time. Furthermore, only 4.4% of respondents believe AI handles complex tasks “very well,” while 40% find it “bad” or “very poor.”
Most developers do not currently use AI-centric programming methods, such as “vibe coding,” with only 17% saying they are mostly using it for code generation, and 29% planning to avoid it altogether.
Instead, AI tools are primarily used for search engine replacement (87%), learning new concepts or technologies (87%), and supplementary purposes. Despite the hype surrounding AI, a significant majority of developers still seek human assistance in critical situations, such as trust concerns over AI-generated code or a need to fully understand complex issues.
This survey serves as a welcome reality check for those entering the software industry, indicating that while AI is becoming increasingly prevalent, there are still essential roles for humans in software development.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/29/coders_are_using_ai_tools