AI vs Developers: THe future of Software development
AI vs Developers
The question of whether artificial intelligence can replace developers is becoming increasingly relevant in modern society. However, despite the rise of automation and breakthroughs in machine learning, many experts argue that the role of humans in the software development process will remain unrivaled. Rather than eliminating developer jobs, AI is likely to complement them by helping automate routine tasks and speed up software creation processes. Developers will continue to play a key role in guiding the development and use of artificial intelligence technologies.
So, instead of seeing AI as a threat, it is worth viewing it as a tool that helps developers expand their capabilities and improve their productivity. This material was created to answer this question and further delve into artificial intelligence.
How is AI changing the IT industry?
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.
Software Development
Many believe that software development is one of the areas where artificial intelligence can make a significant impact. However, despite all the advantages, it is important to understand that AI is not a panacea and cannot completely replace the human factor in software development.
It is a complex and time-consuming process that involves many challenges, such as writing quality, error-free code, testing the code for functionality, performance, security, and usability, deploying the code across different environments and platforms, and maintaining the code for updates and changes. All this requires not only enormous patience but also enormous experience on the part of the developer for everything to work well.
AI can automate routine aspects of coding, such as writing boilerplate code, checking syntax, and even identifying logical errors. This significantly reduces development time and increases the efficiency of developers, but it cannot completely replace them yet and is unlikely to be able to in the foreseeable future. Ultimately, the successful implementation of artificial intelligence in this area requires a harmonious combination of technical knowledge and the creativity of developers.
Cyber security
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.
The future of AI-developer collaboration
Modern human-machine interaction appears in the form of effective cooperation, simplifying routine tasks and optimizing many IT-related processes, from interpretation, generation, and refactoring of code to full-fledged AI tools for each specialty.
It is difficult to predict the exact level of threat artificial systems will pose to IT professionals in the future, but for now, it is a useful tool that programmers should learn to easily bypass the routine and spend more time on what really matters.
In other words, modern AI are human assistants, and soon they will not replace developers, but will organically complement and reformat our roles.
The positions of Intern-Junior level developers will likely undergo the greatest changes since the work of a neural network is quite well tailored to generating code for simple tasks. But do not forget that the result of their work is still far from ideal.
What developer skills will not be replaced by AI?
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.
Conclusion
As of 2024, there are no hints that programmers will be left without work. Artificial systems currently occupy the role of assistants and simplify routine and time-consuming work: write a piece of code or part of the documentation, fill in the functionality of a certain method, give advice or explain the code, refactor it, etc.
The most correct step in these conditions is to study AI. Even if some professions begin to disappear, experienced specialists who know how to delegate routine to neurons and develop complex solutions will not be left out. Therefore, focus on complex and creative solutions that a neural network cannot handle, scale your knowledge and skills, gain unique experience, always follow the news of the AI world, and also be open to new technologies and skills.
If you have any questions or have an idea about hiring a team of professional developers in Ukraine, we would be glad to fuel your business idea with our services: contact.us@gointeractive.co
