Since AI assistants have become popular, one of the most frequent uses is in code generation. However, in 2024, the bar was officially raised. Today, AI is transforming software delivery. This blog post will look at the current trends in AI-driven Development. Once you know the challenges and opportunities, you can picture the larger landscape and strategize how to best implement the technology.
AI-Driven Development: Why you should consider it
The AI Code Assistant aims to help developers manage their day-to-day activities so the team can concentrate on perfecting the technology that powers the company. Instead of having to rejigger the code, fix endless typos, deal with constant false alarms, or help tickets, they can count on proactive help to solve problems before they begin. In other words, a tool like this considerably reduces the cognitive load on the development team.
An AI code assistant can bridge those gaps for teams needing consistency, communication, or compliance. Intelligent code completion can pick up context clues in multiple programming environments, reducing application mistakes and speeding up.
But how do you choose the right AI-driven development tool? Look for something that adapts to the technological and security standards that your company already adopts. For this, a tool that can be enriched with your company’s context, such as StackSpot AI, is a good choice.
Benefits of AI Code Assistant for the Development Team
The most significant benefit of AI code Assistants, such as StackSpot AI, for development teams, is excellent speed and efficiency. When programmers get stuck in the weeds on rote tasks, it hurts more than just the dev team.
Leaders expect them to anticipate what customers or clients will need and work backwards from there. AI Code Assistants can be the key to giving people their time back by speeding everything along (without compromising the quality of the work).
AI in software development can be used to help the documentation and analytics processes. It can also enhance collaboration and communication. Now, tech leaders will have the tools and the words to explain how systems impact the bottom line. It’s not just easier to win arguments about hiring and budgeting. It helps other departments understand their role in context with the tech that supports the company.
Finally, AI is the key to continuous learning and improvement. When developers can use AI code assistants, they can get suggestions they would not think of alone. This is even better when using a contextualized code assistant because the dev can learn a new option for a challenge that will fit the company tech standards and compliance.
It’s not necessary to learn every new product or feature, but there should be enough of a knowledge base to make smarter decisions about what fits with the company’s needs as well as the needs of the tech team. Staff with a strong grasp of the general sector should be able to plan based on what’s available and coming down the pike.
7 ways an AI Code Assistant can help a development team
AI Code Assistants have largely picked up the slack for the development teams, typically performing the following duties:
- Coding assistance: Intelligent coding assistance can pick up where developers left off, smoothing out errors in mundane or routine tasks. While the quality of the code may not be up to par with the experts in the industry, it’s typically solid enough (with human review) to work in multiple environments.
- Automated documentation and knowledge management: AI Code Assistants can record all updates and help you detangle everything from variable names to functions. You can also create documentation for the application with the tool via Prompt Engineering.
- Monitoring: AI Code Assistants monitor programs, applications, and systems in real-time. Implementing AI can be the key to fixing everything from slowdowns to security loopholes.
- Execution: AI-Driven Development can automates multiple processes that otherwise eat into the staff’s time, like code reviews, infrastructure, and tests.
- Analysis: Combs analyzes the treasure trove of data the DevOps team collects. AI in software delivery can extract relevant insights, making teams more confident when allocating their resources.
- Predictive monitoring: Predicts failures and suggests solutions based on past patterns. This can cut down on system breakdowns or even scheduled downtimes.
- Reporting: An AI Code Assistant can generate detailed reports and notifications across departments. This ensures the reports are both reliable and simpler to follow and that the team can have Data-Driven Decision-Making.
Want to see other ways StackSpot can help your technology teams become more data-driven? Check out this tutorial using StackSpot AI to create complex dashboards without data science knowledge.
Considerations and best practices in implementing AI Code Assistant
Before implementing an AI Code Assistant, you must decide which data the assistant can access and who will be responsible for the results. AI Code Assistant allows for granular controls, and the best practice in AI-driven development is to follow the principle of least privilege. From there, sensitive data should be encrypted in case the assistant is breached, and regular audits will need to be scheduled to ensure the controls hold against emerging threats.
We can’t stress enough the importance of context for the assertiveness of an AI tool. Therefore, choosing the right Knowledge Source to feed the AI tool separates a successful AI-driven development strategy from a failed one.
Ideally, you’ll be testing the AI Code Assistant to assess how it makes decisions and whether it can withstand adversarial attacks. The AI Code Assistant should be both deployed and run in a secure environment, with authorization controls that meet or exceed the regulations for your industry.
When selecting an AI Code Assistant, it’s important to consider the integration features and the user experience. If the assistant can’t function alongside your current tools, it can end up causing more disruption than it’s worth. We recommend tools built for the user, with clear documentation and easy-to-understand analytics.
Before a development team begins to use the assistant, they should be trained about the tool’s capabilities and limitations. It’s equally important for the team to understand what the assistant can’t do so they can be ready to step in.
How Can AI-Driven Development Change Your Business?
Transformative changes in software development are happening daily, and many of them are thanks to advancements in AI. AI-driven development has the power to help you create better software and infrastructure, all while remaining within your scope.
The team at StackSpot has seen first-hand the benefits of AI code assistants for development teams, particularly those with high standards and even higher expectations. StackSpot AI can customize your company’s or team’s development experience by leveraging the stacks and code generated from your internal knowledge sources. Say goodbye to generic suggestions!
If you want to learn more about the newest trends in AI-driven development, follow us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date!
