Stack Overflow's question volume has plummeted from over 200,000 questions per month at its 2014 peak to under 3,000 in 2026. While AI is the obvious suspect, the decline actually began earlier due to Stack Overflow's increasingly hostile moderation culture that discouraged beginners. Generative AI then accelerated the trend by offering judgment-free, instant answers. The deeper concern raised is whether developers are losing the habit of asking questions and thinking critically. Research shows AI-generated code is simpler, more repetitive, and carries security flaws in 45% of cases, while AI cannot replicate human decision-making and creativity. The post offers practical questions developers should ask themselves when using AI tools, and warns that over-dependence could erode problem-solving skills in the next generation of developers.
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