These days, it's not uncommon for developers to incorporate artificial intelligence tools in their daily workflows. Quickly evolving artificial intelligence technology can make processes more efficient and streamlined.
Despite the benefits AI offers, trust in the technology is not as high as it was last year. Why developers still don't trust AI tools goes back to two primary factors: accuracy and reliability.
AI Integration Is Useful Until It's Not
The truth about AI is that it lacks the same abilities humans have when it comes to making subtle programming and design decisions. The tools can make brilliant guesses, but code accuracy isn't always 100%.
Yet because the code looks accurate, developers often find themselves relying more on AI instead of their carefully honed skills. Consequently, AI tools can create problems with code, including security holes and functions that return incorrect or insufficient data.
Developer Trust in AI Is Eroding, and Research Backs It Up
A recent Stack Overflow Developer Survey helps explain why developers still don't trust AI tools. The survey includes responses from over 49,000 developers spanning the globe.
The ultimate finding is that the increase in AI technology usage within the community does not increase its credibility. Trust in AI tool transparency and accuracy is waning among developers.
In a year, the popularity of AI use in program development has dropped from 72% to 60% despite around 80% of developers incorporating some form of artificial intelligence in their work. When it comes to accuracy, trust in AI has gone from 40% to 29% between 2024 and 2025.
According to 45% of respondents, the main problem with AI is that the solutions tools provide may look good but aren’t quite right. The result of incorrect information is that developers must spend more time fixing AI-generated code. Only 3.1% of respondents highly trust AI results, but only 2.5% of those respondents are seasoned developers.
Are All Devs Using Artificial Intelligence?
Although 80% of developers use AI as part of their workload, up to 78.5% only do so infrequently. About 52% of developers from the survey claim that AI tools affect the completion of their work, and 69% say they experience an increase in productivity.
Even with a lack of trust, most developers see the benefit of AI in programming. Still, due to accuracy and ethical concerns, most developers prefer human oversight in addition to AI tools. The risk of misinformation and occasional lack of complexity is largely why 58% of respondents prefer talking to people when they don't understand something or need help fixing an AI-generated code.
How To Stay Sharp Using AI
Understanding why developers still distrust AI tools doesn't diminish the benefits of AI-powered tools and resources. When using AI, it helps to view it as a tool and not a crutch. Developers can keep their programming skills sharp by completing projects without using AI every week.
When reviewing AI-generated code, it's best not to rely on artificial intelligence to uncover problems. Review the code as though it came from a junior intern, debug manually, and test everything to minimize complications.
