A new survey from Stack Overflow has unveiled a transformative shift in the developer community, with open-source AI emerging as a pivotal force.

The survey of over 1,000 global developers, reveals that an impressive 82% have some experience with open-source AI, a trend that is particularly pronounced among the 25-34 age group, with 60% reporting significant engagement.

Notably, developers with the least work experience (0-5 years) show the highest familiarity at 71%, indicating that open-source AI is becoming a key area of expertise and exploration for newer developers.

Among the most recognised AI models, GPT-4o, DeepSeek and Gemini’s popular models all stand out. Remarkably, two of the top five models are open-source, reflecting the growing prominence of these tools in the developer community.

For developers not using open-source LLMs, the top five models for awareness are Nova Pro (Amazon), Jamba, QwQ, Phi-4, and Mistral Large 2, with all but Nova Pro being open-source.

The survey also highlights that developers with 0-5 years of experience are most familiar with DeepSeek (open-source) and Google (proprietary) models. Those with 5-15 years of experience show higher familiarity with LLMs, particularly GPT-4o (33%), DeepSeek V3 (31%), and o1 (31%).

When asked to rank various models, Claude Sonnet and o1 received high average normalised ranks despite lower awareness, while Gemini had a low average rank despite high awareness.

This suggests that some lesser-known models are highly valued by those who are familiar with them.

Trust in open-source AI is highest for personal projects and learning, with 66% of respondents giving it a top-box score.

Proprietary AI also garners trust for personal and learning purposes (52%), but less so for strategic or development work.

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Security remains a concern for 44% of respondents regarding open-source AI, though 48% do not see it as a significant issue.

“Open-source AI is rapidly becoming a cornerstone for developers, especially those early in their careers,” Erin Yepis, senior analyst, market research and insights, Stack Overflow said.

“The high trust in open-source models for personal and learning projects underscores the community’s confidence in these tools. As the technology evolves, we expect its adoption to continue growing, driven by the next generation of developers.’’

The survey underscores the growing prominence and trust in open-source AI among developers, particularly for personal and learning applications. As the technology continues to evolve, its adoption is expected to rise, driven by early career and younger developers.