For developer tools, big changes don’t come often—they tend to evolve slowly over time. But the rise of large language models (LLMs) is shaking things up in a way that feels downright revolutionary. The real question, though, is whether these changes are giving developers what they actually need. Let’s talk about what might be coming in 2025 for dev tools.

LLMs and Generative AI

We’re starting to wake up to something pretty major: the big LLM vendors are training their models on data that often doesn’t belong to them. Plus, when you use cloud-based AI, you’re sharing a lot of private info—whether you realize it or not. Kind of like how Google knows everything you’re searching for because, well, you’re telling them.

LLM vendors want your queries to stay in their clouds. That’s why the development speed and innovation we’re seeing are fast but kind of limited. Tools like CodeGate, which act as firewalls to keep AI workflows separate from vendors, point out the problem but only solve part of it. Sensitive data isn’t just passwords—it’s all the “information exhaust” you leave behind.

I think people are going to start being more careful about what they’re sharing with these systems. That’s going to create a bit of a standoff in the next year.

And those agentic systems everyone’s excited about? The ones that chain tasks together automatically? Right now, they’re like a game of telephone—small errors add up, and suddenly nothing works. Until these systems get better at precision and reliability, they’re not going to hit their stride in 2025.

Oh, and here’s a fun analogy: Remember learning to windsurf? If you didn’t figure out how to tack against the wind, you probably ended up stuck on the same part of the beach as every other beginner. That’s what happens to new devs relying too much on LLMs—they get pretty far but hit a wall because they skipped the basics. Hopefully, this becomes a teaching opportunity, with more coding platforms helping folks backtrack and build those foundational skills.

As for generative AI? It’s getting better all the time—whether it’s creating art or other assets—but watermarking and copyright issues are still a mess. And here’s a twist: As generative AI gets more advanced (and expensive), it might actually want watermarking protection for itself.

WebAssembly (Wasm)

Wasm keeps showing up in dev conversations, and for good reason. It gives you near-native performance in the browser, which is no small thing. Sure, you still need complex JavaScript glue code to make it work, but the potential is huge—whether for speeding up certain tasks, making code more portable, or just handling heavy-lifting on the frontend.

One cool tool I’ve noticed is Moonbit—it’s creating smaller Wasm executables than traditional languages manage. So yeah, Wasm might feel like the new kid on the block, but it’s slowly becoming part of the web’s natural flow.

The Fediverse

Ah, the fediverse. If you haven’t explored it yet, it’s basically the world of platforms using ActivityPub—Mastodon is probably the most famous example. It’s got this grassroots, open-source vibe, but it’s still waiting for that breakout moment. Right now, it’s a bit like a hidden gem in the forest.

Bluesky made waves this year, but not because of its AT protocol—it’s more about how they made onboarding simpler for new users. That’s a big lesson for the fediverse: usability matters. Maybe 2025 will bring some killer apps or new tools that help the fediverse gain traction.

More Small Projects from Small Teams

It’s easier than ever for small teams to launch cool projects. LLMs might not give you the spark of creativity, but they sure can help with the heavy lifting, letting developers try out ideas on the edge of their knowledge. And once a tool or library gets traction, LLMs can recommend it to others, which keeps the momentum going.

Web-based playgrounds remain the best way to show off your project. And I’m betting we’ll see more new languages and tools pop up this year. Who knows? Even darklang, which has been quiet for a while, might make a return.

So yeah, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for dev tools. Whether you’re experimenting with LLMs, diving into Wasm, or building something entirely new, there’s a lot to look forward to. If you’re launching something in the new year, good luck—I can’t wait to see what’s next!