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AI code generation tools became a huge hit fast, just like ChatGPT. Naturally, we wondered whether professional developers are worried about becoming redundant. Will human programmers be replaced by AI sometime soon?
We decided to discuss this matter by talking to some of the most experienced Devtorium developers. It turns out that they aren’t worried at all. In fact, they are actively exploring and using AI code generators in their everyday work.
AI software development is one of Devtorium’s core services. Therefore, our specialists spend a lot of their time researching artificial intelligence tech and what it can do. We asked some of our senior software engineers which tools they are using and what they think about their capabilities. Read their replies below.
Are AI Code Generation Tools Useful for Developers Today?
Andrii Bohatyr: Head of Development Department
Over the last six months, I used:
- Github Copilot
- Starcoder
- Langchain-based solutions
I would admit these tools are raw right now. In general, they don’t offer a lot of value. However, they are capable of helping with some rudimentary tasks.
The issue is that prompts require tweaks and improvements, even when you have a clear understanding of how to engineer prompts. Therefore, 9 out of 10 tasks could be easily completed faster in the old-fashioned way.
The same results could be achieved by using Google. I mean if the task requires diving deeper into a domain you need to research more.
AI code generation tools have good potential. However, as of now, they have too many issues and are still limited. The biggest problem is that even IDE pluggable tools lack the context of the whole project. Therefore, they are largely unusable. They don’t have an understanding of a particular project’s code style, conventions, issues, etc.
I would say, AI-based solutions indeed may help to automate some routine tasks. However, in coding experience is crucial. At least, if you’re not an LLM expert or a prompt engineering guru.
Alina Nor: Senior .NET Developer
decided to try GitHub copilot immediately when I heard about it. It gave me a ‘wow’ effect – like magic when you’re writing a sentence about what should be here and it writes some meaningful code or when it completes the writing function for you – this impressed me.
I like to witness this magic. It’s a special kind of pleasure seeing how someone adds code for you. The problem is that you can’t rely on keeping that code as is. You need to review that and make sure it’s correct. For me, mostly it wasn’t. I had to rewrite it or improve it all the time.
However, it might give you a couple of ideas when you’re stuck. Also, I should admit that the code written by this tool is clean and follows the best practices.
Unfortunately, AI code generation tools don’t improve my workflow. I’ve been using Copilot for two months. Most of that time I didn’t accept its suggestions because I didn’t want to spend time reviewing or rewriting the code generated by it.
However, I’m using ChatGPT 4 for ideas or when I need to do some routing work. It’s a really powerful solution and it can save developer’s time. Especially if you need a general functionality, for example, some math functions or time calculations, etc. When there are no custom rules, its code works well. I think this is a powerful assistant for developers, even though you cannot rely on it completely.
Maksym Kharkovenko: Senior Front-End Engineer
I have been using GitРub Copilot for about 3 months. If you’re looking to optimize your code, I would recommend giving Copilot a try. It can help you generate new code and patterns quickly and efficiently. In addition, I use GitHub Copilot Chat, which is also a good helper for improving your code.
Github Copilot is a really powerful tool that can enhance the coding workflow. However, sometimes it requires some examples before it can generate anything that can be integrated into your project. This AI code generation tool provides syntactically correct code but it still has trouble referencing types across different files and packages.
Using Copilot really improved my coding efficiency by providing relevant and accurate code suggestions. I like its intuitive handling of function creation, code completion, and creation of unit tests. It makes the coding process more efficient and enjoyable.
Oleksii Makarov: Solution Architect/Head of R&D Department
I have been using Copilot for several months. From my experience, AI code generation assistants are not a panacea or a way to completely escape coding. Therefore, you can’t rely on them to do all the work for you. Naturally, you need to match the generated code to your expectations. Sometimes, Сopilot can’t generate something I want. However, in most cases, it defines the context correctly and offers good suggestions.
Most of the time, I write in NodeJS and Python. Copilot helps to save time when writing my code. I’ve been doing more RnD lately, and in this mode, sometimes I must make some major changes in the project generated by AI.
Copilot defines the context of the code and the next block I want to implement quite well. For example, Copilot knows that this particular file implements a layer of database accesses. Therefore, based on the name of the method I introduced, it proposes changes with data that match the method name and my expectations. Even at the moment of the suggested completion, I see whether the Copilot understands what I need, and then I can accept or reject this completion.
Will AI Code Generation Tools Replace Developers Anytime Soon?
As you can clearly see, developers aren’t worried about AI taking their jobs. On the contrary, the leaders of them spearhead the innovation and use AI code generators to improve their workflow. Moreover, they use this opportunity to expand the limits of what AI can do.
As a provider of AI-based solution development services, Devtorium strives to contribute to the development of artificial intelligence technology. We understand that AI is the future and we are happy to use all it can offer and then expound on it for our clients.
If you want to know how AI-powered development can help your project, set up a free consultation with our team!
