Artificial intelligence simulates human intelligence processes by the use of algorithms, data, machines, and computer systems. AI systems work by ingesting large amounts of data, analyzing data for correlations and patterns, and using these patterns to make predictions about future states. According to statistics, the potential contribution of AI to the global economy could be $15.7 trillion in 2030.
AI is rapidly integrating itself into every business as, according to statistics, 75% of the executives fear going out of business within five years if they don’t embrace AI. AI’s impact on software development is also ground-breaking as AI is redefining how engineers work, already driving significant gains in productivity, quality, and speed.
Understanding Software Development And The Use Of AI
Software development is the process engineers use to build computer programs. This process is also known as Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), which includes several phases that provide a method for building products that meet technical specifications and user requirements.
Artificial intelligence is transforming businesses all over the world, including software development. AI provides automation for low-value tasks, freeing engineers for high-value tasks and increasing their productivity. AI software development tools are helping to democratize programming, eliminating the need for manual labor and improving task efficiency. According to statistics, 61% of the workers say that the adoption of AI in the workplace has led to a boost in productivity.
Here is a list of ways in which AI is improving software development.
- Rapid prototyping
- Intelligent development assistants
- Analytics automation
- Error handling
- Automatics code refactoring
- Improved forecasting of estimates
- Strategic decision-making
How Can AI Improve The Software Development Processes
AI is redefining how engineers work and how their code is built and managed. It can improve project planning, aid with QA automation, and enhance user experience. According to a recent report, AI-enhanced software development increases developers’ productivity ten times.
Strategic Decision-Making
Strategic decision-making in software development is essential, and AI can significantly impact it by radicalizing decision-making and reducing the need for human intervention. It also helps eliminate human errors and make informed decisions. AI-based tools like The AI Canvas, Pega Real-Time Intelligence, and Provenir are used by numerous companies to help make strategic decisions.
Error-Management
When a bug is found in software, an engineer has to debug it manually, which is time-consuming. With AI, you can detect and diagnose bugs in the software without intense human interference. Your AI-powered assistant can also learn from experience and identify common errors if it is provided past data and analytics. ControlFLag, DeepCode, and SapFix are some of the popular AI-powered tools that are used for debugging
Improved Estimates
It can be challenging for software engineers to provide precise estimates on timelines and costs. AI can help you offer improved estimates to predict the time, effort, and budget required. This information can help organizations decide which projects to accept or not. Better estimates can also help increase customer retention and bodes well for your business. PataBid and Togal AI are some of the AI-powered tools that are used for improved estimation processes.
Increase In Speed And Scale Of Development
AI can shorten numerous processes done manually by the engineer, which helps save time. With AI running tests and managing errors, engineers get the time to focus on the creative aspects of the product. AI runs tests automatically and enables computers to do fast and accurate testing against predictable results, reducing failure rates and shortening development processes. Software engineers now need AI-powered tools to streamline processes and reduce waste.
AI Tools For Software Engineers
Here is a list of some of the AI tools that are extremely useful for software engineers.
InVision:
InVision is an AI-based prototyping tool used by over 2 million people worldwide. Known as the most formidable competitor of Adobe Wireframe, this tool enables the designer to create clickable versions of designs to test and present them to the customer. InVision also allows you to share screens with other designers, create animations and transitions, and interact with well-known design tools like Photoshop. It is used by well-known companies like Salesforce, IBM, and AIB.
Applitools:
AI in code automation has been steadily gaining popularity, with engineers creating numerous automation testing tools to overcome automation testing challenges.
Applitools is an AI-based automation testing tool used for visual UI testing and monitoring. The tool enables a machine to mimic human eyes and brains and analyze the entire screen with a single line of code. Applitools leverages Artificial intelligence and machine learning for test maintenance and integrates smoothly with your existing tests. It is used by numerous companies like Microsoft, Sony, Johnson & Johnson, and more.
Invoca:
AI in automatic analytics is also very popular, with 48% of the companies using data analysis and AI tools to address data quality issues. Invoca is an AI-based call tracking and conversational analytics tool. It is a conversation intelligence platform that enables teams to deliver excellent buying experiences that drive revenue growth. It is basically a tool that uses AI to analyze speech or text to provide data-driven insights from conversations between sales agents and customers. With over 2300+ customers, it is used by well-known companies like Lending Tree and Samsung.
TensorFlow:
TensorFlow is an open-source machine learning library that Google backs. This AI tool is ideally suited for complex numerical computations of high volumes using data-flow graphs and machine learning for your projects. It supports many classification and regression algorithms, neural networks, and natural language processing solutions. TensorFlow is used by well-known companies like Dropbox, eBay, and Coca-Cola.
Impact Of AI On Hiring Practices
As of right now, it looks like AI is the future of technology, and pretty soon it will be integrating itself everywhere. But the question arises, will people lose their jobs because of AI? With the domination of AI, will engineers be no longer needed?
To answer the question easily, the growth of AI will result in some adverse effects and some positives. AI will be replacing jobs in the future as according to statistics, 20 million manufacturing jobs may be lost to AI-based robots by 2030. Workers from industries ranging from agriculture, industrial, and healthcare can all expect to see disruptions in hiring due to AI. According to the World Economic Forum, AI is expected to replace 85 million jobs worldwide and create 95 million new ones by 2025.
While AI may cause some job losses, it is a human innovation and AI also needs maintenance, which can only be done by humans. So to state it bluntly, engineers won’t be going out of jobs, because we need them for innovation, ideas, creativity, design, and maintenance of software systems and even for these AI-powered tools. These are some of the essential aspects of software development that cannot be fulfilled by artificial intelligence and requires the attention of engineers. In the end, AI will change the workspace landscape, and like any other technology, AI will create just as many jobs as it displaces.
Future Of AI
AI is bringing about a revolution and is set to become a core component of all modern software over the coming years. It will impact the way we develop applications and will shape the future of software development. Artificial intelligence systems will ease the laborious tasks of finding relevant content, fixing errors, and determining solutions for engineers.
These rapidly scaling technologies are transforming how developers work and are enabling them to build better quality software. Currently, there is a rapid movement towards using AI to build human centric customer experience (CX) designs based on the data that is interactive and is supposed to drive action from the users. Using analytics and AI can also help increase the pace of innovation and with the help of AI and Machine Learning, companies can automate models to analyze huge amounts of data and provide accurate results.
AI-powered tools are already being used by numerous software developers all over the world. These are the tools that are helping developers create more engaging and innovative products in less time. One of the latest achievements of AI in software development is the GitHub Copilot, an AI programmer that gives you tips on how to write better code. Another AI-powered tool most recently developed is Kite. It’s an AI software based on deep learning algorithms that helps you achieve the highest possible confidence in code completion. Clever-Commit is also a recent addition in AI-powered tools for software developers. This tool combines data from a bug tracking system with databases of code and finds and fixes errors in the code.
With so many AI-powered tools being developed and acting as game-changers in the world of software development, there is no doubt that AI is changing the way we design and develop software these days. With these recent advancements in AI, more companies are investing in it.
Conclusion
So this is it! I hope you enjoyed this article and it was helpful for you. Feel free to contact us if you have any queries.
I am a medical student and an avid fiction reader, with a penchant for travelling. I am currently working as a junior content writer at Genetech Solutions, one of Pakistan’s leading Software houses.
