The world's largest developer forum Stack Overflow has seen a big dump in activity by 90%. Will it become a tear in the AI era?

Generative AI has entered the development process in a big way, the "question and answer mode" that Stack Overflow used to rely on has been hit hard, and the number of questions on the platform has dropped back to the level of 2009. (Synopsis: Professor Berkeley warns: Graduates of elite schools don't have to pick jobs!) AI will cut off half of the grassroots positions in another 5 years) (Background supplement: Sam Altman's real observation of AI in the future: the singularity will not explode, but quietly devour everything) With the reputation of programmers as the "back garden", the world's largest technical Q&A platform Stack Overflow is now also facing a freeze under the wave of AI. According to the latest data, the number of new issues on the platform has dropped significantly, with only about 20,000 new questions recorded in May 2025, down more than 90% from its peak in April 2020 and returning to the level of the platform's early days in 2009. This programming Q&A platform, once ranked among the top 50 websites in the world and with more than 100 million monthly traffic, is now being pushed to the edge by the wave of generative AI. Source: Pragmaticengineer AI Shock: Developers Turn to Instant Answer Tools Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, more and more developers have chosen AI tools (such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot) to solve programming problems instead of asking questions or searching for answers on Stack Overflow. Immediacy: AI can quickly provide code answers or debug suggestions without waiting for community response. Convenience: Tools such as GitHub Copilot are directly integrated into the development environment, greatly reducing dependence on external platforms. However, although it is not explicitly stated, it can be expected that many AI models have used Stack Overflow's public data for training, but have not given back to the platform, and there are also ethical disputes. However, while AI is the main driver, Stack Overflow's decline is not entirely caused by AI. Since 2014, platforms have been criticized as "unfriendly" due to strict moderation policies, such as closing duplicate questions or newbie questions, resulting in the loss of some users. In addition, the rise of alternative platforms such as GitHub discussion boards and Reddit has also diverted some technical Q&A needs. Responding to the Crisis: Stack Overflow's Transformation Journey Faced with existential challenges, Stack Overflow needs to actively pursue transformation next: Rebranding: In May 2025, Stack Exchange announced a rebranding in an attempt to redefine its value in the AI era. AI integration: OverflowAI, launched in partnership with OpenAI, aims to integrate AI technology into the platform to provide more real-time search and answer capabilities. Diversify your business model: Reduce reliance on open Q&A with Stack Overflow for Teams, advertising, and recruitment. However, the developer community generally agrees that rebranding or AI integration alone will not turn the tide because the convenience of AI tools has become deeply ingrained. Will Stack Overflow be the tears of the times in the future? Let's move on. Related reports Trump's second son Eric Trump denied joining Tron's backdoor listing of the new company, SRM Entertainment's stock price soared 533% overnight Overseas ultra-niche AI track "raised $100 million", how does Laurel analyze time cause and effect? When the world rushes into AI, why is Apple still standing still? 〈Stack Overflow, the world's largest developer forum, has plummeted by 90%, will it become a tear in the AI era? This article was first published in BlockTempo's "Dynamic Trend - The Most Influential Blockchain News Media".