Since 2008, Stack Overflow has been an extremely useful resource for developers, allowing them to crowdsource answers to their coding questions – and resulting in a vast online repository of coding knowledge.
but as dev class reportsThe advent of generative AI appears to have led to an extinction level event for the platform, with the number of monthly queries dropping significantly since ChatGPT arrived on the scene in late 2022.
The data, accessed through StackOverflow’s own Data Explorer, tells a dramatic story. The number of queries per month dropped from 21,000 in January 2025 to just 3,607 by December. By early 2023, it was fielding 100,000 per month.
Problem? Large language model-based tools like OpenAI’s blockbuster chatbot have allowed programmers to get coding help with simple text prompts, eliminating the need to take their questions to StackOverflow.
There’s a Meta Twist: StackOverflow Signed a partnership with OpenAI In an effort to “consolidate the world’s most popular large language model” in 2024 – either bowing to the inevitable or hastening your own destruction, depending on your perspective.
This is a confusing situation. company Introduced an “AI Assist” featureWhich was described last month as “a new way for users to access our 17 years of expert knowledge”. Still, like dev class Explains using generative AI to answer questions on the platform still banned.
Frustrated users argued that the site is often hostile and “toxicThe community has contributed to its downfall by, for example, criticizing the company for allowing moderators to mishandle duplicate questions. Many users have become frustrated with being shut down for asking questions that have already been answered.
“Sure, one can point to 2022 and say ‘Look, it’s because of AI,’ and yes, AI has certainly accelerated the decline, but that’s the result of you constantly penalizing users for trying to participate in your community,” said one Reddit user. argued. “People were happy to finally have a tool that didn’t tell them their questions were stupid.”
Others pointed out that the most important questions may have already been asked.
Another user said, “I very rarely feel like I need to ask new questions on StackOverflow.” wrote. “A problem is either so small that I can find the answer myself, so general that someone has already asked, or so difficult and so specific that asking other people for help is pointless.”
Programmers are worried about what will happen next, especially given AI’s well-documented shortcomings. Hallucinations are still a major issue, causing developers to spend a lot of time fixing bugs.
More practical question: When new technologies are deployed, and StackOverflow is a husk, where will AI get their coding information?
One user said, “StackOverflow was by far the leading source of high-quality answers to technical questions.” debated on hacker news. “What do LLMs train with now?”
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