Alejandro Apocalyptic rise of the robots, Skynet style, or the dawn of a new brighter age? Opinions on AI are mixed, especially in the Software industry where there is a great deal of hype about the capabilities of artificial intelligence and the risk it poses, primarily to our jobs.
However, the truth of the matter is that AI tools can be used to greatly improve the lot of software engineers and developers. Read on to find out how.
Change The Role Of Developers
Like many developers and engineers, I first approached AI with trepidation, largely to my concerts over being replaced in my role. However, after using it and experiencing both the advantages and disadvantages (such as when it hallucinates code!), I now realize that instead of replacing software engineers AI is changing their role, largely in a positive way.
Indeed, because AI can be used to handle mundane or repetitive tasks, it frees me up to focus on the more complex, and challenging jobs that need a human touch such as writing code and solving high-level problems.
Improving Software Testing
As an engineer software testing is a big part of my workload, and the good news is that AI holds much potential to make this task both faster and more accurate. Benefits which means less precious time spent on software testing, and lower overheads.
I’ve found that one of the most helpful things when using AI for software testing is its sheer capacity for analyzing higher volumes of data and spotting things that I might have otherwise not seen.
Increasing Software Security
Just like everyone working in the Computer Sciences Field, software security is a priority to me. Luckily, AI is a highly useful and efficient tool to improve software security in a variety of different ways.
First of all, AI can be incredibly helpful in proactively identifying vulnerabilities, even before they have been breached by hackers. This is because it’s possible to use types of machine learning like User and Event Behavioral Analytics (UEBA), which can spot anomalous behavior that could point to a vulnerability that is yet to be packed.
Rapid Prototyping
Another way that AI can lighten the load of software engineers is by using it for rapid prototyping. After all, prototyping is a crucial step in the software development process, and by using AI tools in this process you can make it much more effective.
For example, AI can be used as part of the design process, testing things like usability as we go rather than having to wait until the product is built. In this way, it can transform the design process, and ensure any software developed is as user-focused, and friendly as possible.
Final Thoughts On How Software Engineers Can Harness AI Tools For Success
The critical things I’ve learned about how AI Tools can help software engineers include:
- It’s not going to replace us!
- It can help us work faster and more efficiently, and skip the boring bits of our roles.
- High-level tasks such as coding still require human input
- Software engineers that want to stay relevant in today’s employment market would be wise to embrace AI tools in their workflow.
