Part 3/8:
Data from 2023 indicated a 14% decline in Stack Overflow's site traffic, attributed largely to the increasing popularity of AI tools. The platform saw a steady annual decrease of approximately 6% in user engagement each month. Instead of using Stack Overflow, many opted for AI-driven tools that provided immediate answers, significantly reducing the need to engage with the community for similar queries.
The community reaction to this shift was palpable. Many long-time users began to question the necessity of Stack Overflow in a world where AI seemed to provide faster, if not more nuanced, solutions.