The Human Side of Octoverse 2025: Insights on Open Source, AI, and Collaboration
GitHub's Abigail Cabunoc Mayes discusses the Octoverse 2025 report, highlighting developer growth, AI’s evolving role in open source, and advice for first-time contributors, offering insights into the human and technological factors shaping the community.
The Human Side of Octoverse 2025: Insights on Open Source
Presented by Abigail Cabunoc Mayes, Lead Open Source Maintainer Programs, GitHub
Explore the findings of the Octoverse 2025 report with Abby, who shares her perspective on the rapid growth in the developer community, the evolving relationship between humans and AI in open source, and significant global and community shifts uncovered in the report.
Key Discussion Points
Record-Breaking Developer Growth
- Insight into what’s driving the accelerating expansion of the developer community on GitHub and in open source worldwide.
Global Shifts in the Open Source Ecosystem
- Analysis of changes in how developers and maintainers collaborate and the emergence of new regional trends in software development.
AI's Role in Open Source Today
- Discussion about challenges maintaining AI projects, the impact of AI-powered automation, and how human collaboration continues to shape open source alongside AI tools.
Open Source Standards and Collaboration
- How standards promote effective collaboration and sustainability in large-scale open source projects.
First-Time Contributors
- Data on increasing numbers of new contributors and practical advice for those starting their open source journey.
Chapters
- The real driver of developer growth
- Changes in the global open source ecosystem
- Challenges of maintaining AI in open source
- The role of AI in open source today
- How standards shape open source collaboration
- The impact of first-time contributors
- Advice for new open source contributors
Learn More
- Read the full Octoverse 2025 report
- GitHub Blog
- Follow GitHub on X (Twitter)
- Abigail Cabunoc Mayes on GitHub
For anyone interested in the intersection of open source, AI, and global software development trends, this talk provides actionable insights and perspectives on how both human collaboration and emerging technologies are shaping the community.