Tailwind CSS usage is up. Documentation traffic down 40%. Revenue down 80%.
Not because people stopped using it. Because AI agents started using it for them
A research paper puts a name on it: "Vibe Coding Kills Open Source." https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.15494 : When AI assembles code from libraries, users never visit the docs, file bugs, or engage maintainers. Stack Overflow lost 25% of activity within six months of ChatGPT.
Most maintainers monetize through engagement: sponsorships, consulting, docs traffic. Vibe coding strips all of it while increasing usage.
The paper's prediction: feedback loops that accelerated open source growth now accelerate its contraction. Fewer maintainers, fewer packages, lower quality.
30% of Python functions on GitHub are already AI-generated. If the maintainers behind the libraries stop getting paid, what exactly is the AI generating code from?