Updated March 28, 2023
The Rise of AI in Software Engineering
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the landscape of software engineering, and it is making a profound impact on the industry. From making jobs faster to allowing engineers to concentrate more on design and architecture, AI is providing immense benefits to software engineers, as Artem Koloskov, Iron Software's Senior Software Engineer, explains.
One of the significant advantages of AI is that it can make software engineers' jobs faster. It enables them to work more efficiently and productively. Furthermore, AI can close the gap in knowledge among software engineers. With AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, everyone can have access to information and knowledge about software engineering.
Every level of software engineer will become more knowledgeable. It will close the gap in knowledge because everyone will know everything because they can ask ChatGPT.
Artem Koloskov, Iron Software Senior Software Engineer
Early adopters of AI in software engineering will be viewed as more efficient, particularly by non-technical managers who may not understand why their work has increased ten-fold. When AI becomes a tool, and not just a novelty, it will become normalized and used by everyone.
AI is not a replacement for software engineers. Rather, it is a tool that software engineers can use to enhance their productivity and efficiency. Koloskov explains that "Before you had computers, you were designing with pen and paper. Now you have more tools at your disposal, but they’re still tools, they won’t be replacing you."
The Advantages of AI
One of the main advantages of AI in software engineering is that it allows engineers to concentrate more on design and architecture, as AI provides shortcuts to building. With AI, software engineers can spend more time enhancing the architecture, which leads to a better result. This results in more stability, testing, and better design, making products more versatile and modular, making them easier to change.
Uses and limitations
Iron Software is utilizing AI to refactor code and to build unit tests. According to Koloskov,
"AI is very good at refactoring and making the code more uniform. We have style guides for the code, and it can follow those."
Koloskov cautions that AI is not 100% or even 80% reliable. Engineers must double-check what AI provides, as it can invent properties for unfamiliar products used in the code, and it works on probabilities, making it prone to inaccuracies.
Whether you like it or not, AI is transforming software engineering. It’s providing immense benefits to software engineers, including increased efficiency, productivity, and allowing engineers to concentrate on design and architecture. However, engineers must remember that AI is not a replacement for them, but rather a tool that they can use to enhance their skills and improve their work. The early adopters of AI in software engineering will undoubtedly have an advantage, as AI becomes a normalized tool in the industry.
