In a world still grappling with the pandemic, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have offered significant help by allowing us to leverage digitization through image scan analysis, voice recognition, natural language processing, contactless payment, reducing workloads of the health care segment, robots to minimize human contract, leveraging contact tracing apps, and more.
According to Statista, the global artificial intelligence market, currently valued at $327.5 billion, continues to grow, and from 2015 to 2020, the total yearly corporate global investment in AI increased by $55 billion.
The world of software development has undergone a revolution with AI and ML coming in, and most impacted are the developers. Their roles are changing, expectations from them are rising, and the scope of their work is increasing.
In this post I’ll analyze the effect of artificial intelligence and machine learning on developers. Being prepared for these developments in your field allows you to bring more value to your work and help your career.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning—A Quick Overview
According to Wikipedia, artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines as opposed to the natural intelligence displayed by humans or animals, and machine learning is the study of computer algorithms that can improve automatically through experience and by the use of data.
Real-world artificial intelligence and machine learning applications have been successfully implemented in various industry segments such as health care, education, banking and finance, entertainment, automobile, etc. Artificial intelligence has been a modernized approach whose theory and practices justify the reasons why it is the face of the future.
In the health care segment, AI has been proven highly beneficial with successful advancements like more accurate and earlier cancer diagnosis, faster diagnosis of deadly blood diseases, intelligent symptom checker, AI-powered radiology assistance, development of new medicines, and many more.
AI has been changing the future of humanity by focusing on the competence of a system to adapt to new things independently, without being encoded through commands. Machine learning feeds the system with data and implements the associated algorithms once the concept is realized.
Key features of AI and ML are deep learning; cloud and quantum computing; chatbots; facial recognition; data ingestion; and using domain knowledge for extracting features using feature engineering, pre-processing of data, connecting, and integrating business processes with ecosystem integration.
How Are Developers Affected by the Increasing Popularity of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning?
Developers constantly face the need to learn something new. With technology growing at such a fast pace, it is not possible for them to remain stuck to their routine technical knowledge. After all, learning AI and ML at an expert level demands a lot of learning experience and a strategy of doing so. Transitioning into ML as a software developer requires its own skills, which developers must get trained into.
There are different approaches to looking at how developers have been affected by the technological fervor and what the future holds in store for them. Let’s look at them in more detail.
The Ease That AI and ML Brings to the Life of Developers
The amount of ease and encouraging results that these modern-day technologies have brought to developers is remarkable. Artificial intelligence and machine learning working together offer a high-quality user interaction with a personalized and virtual experience. These technologies offer easy coding, smarter execution, faster SEO, code reusability, and precise deadline estimations.
The life of developers becomes easier with contributions such as chatbots that offer better interaction, creative digital marketing activities, decision making with real-time suggestions, quick prototypes, and intelligent programming assistance. Developers are more equipped to perform complete testing cycles thorough analysis of client behaviour and automated analytics.
Revolutionary Changes That Are Occurring in the Software Industry
A lot is happening in the software circuit, which has been directly affecting developers, especially in these pandemic times. With a view to survive and thrive in a world of increasing digital transformation, developers are adapting newer ways and means to upgrade their knowledge quotient and are thereby contributing to high-grade software development—the future of which is in for a revolution.
In the requirements gathering phase, AI offers a wide range of techniques to ease the process and garner the best of results. Such tools help in identifying trouble areas before proceeding. AI-based technologies like natural language processing (NLP) have been important in understanding user requirements through software models.
Other tools like Infosys Nia, Google ML Kit, etc. have been instrumental in simplifying the start of the software development life cycle.
Many organizations now use AI tools to plan projects, and ML-based algorithms are effective in estimating costs and managing business in the best manner.
In the design phase, AI aids through AI-driven assistants that can offer varied combinations of software design considering client requirements, latest trends, and feasibility of the needs. This helps save time and effort for designers. It also helps the project stay abreast of the latest technological moves.
In the coding phase, algorithms help in automatic code generation, code compilation, and error detection. This saves developers from the burden of writing lines of code and finding errors. AI also helps in converting requirements through NLP to executable code and considers customer requirements and deadlines while doing so.
In the testing and QA phase, AI tools are a great help in automating the different testing services needed at different levels. These testing tools are a perfect assistance in assuring product quality and ensuring regular automated testing in different ways, as needed. Various AI-powered tools help in identifying bugs quickly and automatically revise code snippets with the least manual intervention.
Should Developers Fear Being Replaced?
Ever since AI and ML have made their presence felt, a point of concern is “Will they replace developers?”
No, artificial intelligence and machine learning are not going to replace developers; but yes, there will surely be a change in the way developers operate. The life of developers is sure to experience a positive transformation in many ways, since AI itself may start writing code. That is the feature of AI: automated code generation.
AI is not going to erase the need for developers, but it is going to be a coding aid to them. It will ease their lives by offering automated code snippets with which coding will become much faster.
These AI-powered assistants will provide help at each step of the software development cycle, but after all, they are machines and may not always be foolproof. Hence, the need for developers to ensure accuracy and quality remains. Human intervention is a must; it cannot be scrapped or replaced!
Watch AI & ML Spread Their Magic
The power of AI and ML is unstoppable and sheer magic. It is revolutionizing the software world in its own way, through various AI-powered assistants and ML-based algorithms. It is bridging the gap between the man and machine.
The world is witnessing newer ways of embracing technology, and developers are no different! As avid users of AI and ML, developers have been enjoying the power of these technologies. Their lives have changed, but for the better.
Yes, developers must change their way of thinking, become more techno savvy, keep themselves up-to-date with the latest happenings, keep an open mind to accept and adapt to newer ways of coding. Only then can they leverage the magic of AI & ML.
Developers who keep sticking to their traditional way of working may not be able to perceive the power of these modern-day technologies, thus failing to achieve success.
Being friends with AI and ML is now necessary for developers, and the world shall see a significant change in how software development is being worked upon. If done on a positive note, there is no looking back for developers who are adapting AI and ML tools and technologies with open arms.
