AI vs Developers: THe future of Software development

Artificial intelligence is already transforming the IT industry in all its different areas: from workflow optimization to cybersecurity management. Statistics show that AI has the greatest impact on the IT sector - up to 73% of tasks are automated or will change significantly.

The advances and challenges associated with artificial intelligence will determine the future of IT. According to Gartner, by 2025:

•  - 70% of organizations will shift their focus from big data to small data. They will use more diverse and distributed data sources to gain information and make decisions.
•  - 50% of enterprise applications will use conversational AI. They use natural language interfaces such as chatbots or voice assistants to interact with users and provide services.

•  - 40% of organizations will use explanatory AI. They will use techniques that can make their AI systems more transparent and understandable to humans.

In these statistics, as we see, there is no talk of replacing the main link—the developers—with artificial intelligence. Still, most organizations are afraid or do not want to trust the main responsibilities of AI, because we are at a stage when it is too early to say that a piece of intelligence will be able to completely replace human resources.

One area where AI can have a significant impact on IT is cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is critical to IT as it ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and services.

However, cybersecurity is becoming increasingly complex as cyber threats become more sophisticated and more frequent. According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach in 2020 was $3.86 million. Additionally, there is a shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals who can detect and respond to cyberattacks.

As for Ukraine, the field of defense tech is becoming increasingly relevant here, where AI is already bringing a lot of useful things (autonomous drones are resistant to electronic warfare, intelligence analysis, cybersecurity, etc.).

According to the General Director of Ukroboronprom, Yuriy Gusev, the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies in the defense sector is an important component of the reform of the entire defense industry and Ukroboronprom in particular. He added that departments in leading countries are also exploring the possibilities of using AI algorithms in the defense sector.

The memorandum provides for cooperation in the development of artificial intelligence in the areas of national security and defense. The parties will also work on research projects on the use of artificial intelligence in the field of national security.

Writing code, conducting tests, creating technologies, developing and maintaining computer programs, websites, and mobile applications - these are the working moments that we associate programmers with when we remember them. Everything that we have listed refers to hard skills, without which, of course, it is impossible to build a career as a programmer, but soft skills are no less important today. According to LinkedIn statistics, 57% of respondents consider soft skills one of the most important for working in the IT field, and according to Stack Overflow, 60% of developers identify “communication skills” as one of the most important components of success. These statistics confirm that Soft skills are important for a developer of any grade, from junior to senior.

Again, we return to the myths - many people believe that programming is far from creative because it is boring and monotonous work, but this is not so. When developing programs and websites, it is important to have a creative approach to user interface design. An attractive and intuitive interface can play an important role in the popularity of a product among users. Creativity also helps developers create new products and features. In general, the skills of creativity and flexibility help to quickly adapt to different conditions and find non-standard solutions, which are so necessary when working on product development. In the process of working on a project, unpredictable situations often arise, and significant changes occur, to which you need to be able to react quickly.

The ability to overcome complex challenges, as well as the ability to deal with unexpected situations, are critical skills for a developer. They are as important as knowledge of programming languages ​​and software development skills. The experience of working during a pandemic and the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine forced us to “pump up” this skill every day.

Unexpected problems may arise while working on a project. For example, a client may be convinced that it is better to use a certain technology for development. At the same time, he does not take into account scaling, does not understand that he will have to “pay twice,” and does not want to waste time on discussions. It is important not to get angry, to soberly assess the situation, and to constructively convey arguments. This cannot be achieved without one of the important soft skills of a developer - pumped-up critical thinking. The Hart Research Associates report ranks a candidate's critical thinking as more important than, for example, a bachelor's degree.