How will the presence of AI in programming impact the industry in 2024?
There is no doubt that the rise of AI has impacted a wide range of sectors, transforming the job market as we know it – from AI chatbot apps for marketers to AI image generators for designers.
Without a doubt, brands have been in a race to adopt AI technology to increase productivity and improve workflows. Today, there is a greater demand for experts and workers with a strong understanding of AI and its uses.
But what does this mean for a new generation of software developers? Find out how AI is shaping the future of programming and discover how to future-proof the developer career path below.
The Impact of AI on Developer Roles and Workflows
The presence of AI today has transformed the role of a software developer. Not only that, it has also changed which roles are in demand in the current job market. For instance, openings for prompt engineers have popped up because of the growing adoption of AI by startups and other businesses.
With AI in programming, developers can save time doing menial tasks and focus on more creative and stimulating parts of the job.
To sum it up, with AI in programming, developer productivity and efficiency are enhanced.
AI Tools and Technologies Shaping Programming in 2024
Knowing the right tools to improve efficiency is one of the best ways to adapt to the changing technological landscape. In 2024, software developers have a range of AI tools they can leverage to elevate their work.
GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is a tool jointly developed by GitHub and OpenAI. Copilot can suggest and complete lines of code within the developers’ coding environment. To use the tool, developers can ask a chatbot a question and get tips on how to improve their code’s quality and security.
Copilot has an individual plan that costs $10 per month, and a Business plan that costs $19 per month per user. Plus, the tool offers free trial for students, teachers, and open-source developers.
Tabnine
Meanwhile, developers can also consider Tabnine. Like Copilot, Tabnine can auto-complete your lines of code based on their context-aware suggestions. It can also help test and deploy code for faster project launches. Apart from that, the tool is user-friendly, with features that students and professionals can find helpful.
Tabnine can support various coding languages while adapting to a developer’s coding library and environment. It has a free plan with basic features, while the Pro paid plan for small teams costs $12 per user per month.
Amazon Q Developer
Meanwhile, Amazon Q Developer is another coding tool for programmers. It can suggest lines of code to developers to speed up their workflow. The tool also has an advanced scanning feature that can detect vulnerabilities and security issues within lines of code.
The tool then provides suggestions on how developers can address the issue. It has a free plan with limited monthly access to advanced features. Meanwhile, the Pro plan costs $19 per month and comes with higher limits on advanced features.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
The future of programming with AI looks promising, but it’s not without problems. For one, there are widespread licensing concerns about the use of AI tools. This is because, currently, AI tools are primarily trained on publicly available code.
To address these challenges, developers should be mindful of integrating AI into their workflows. Aside from double-checking their work to control quality, programmers should also be transparent about what tools they use.
At the same time, IT professionals can pressure companies to be more transparent about the data source of their AI models.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are a few questions related to how to adapt to AI as a programmer in 2024:
Do programmers use AI?
Yes, in fact, programmers use AI for a variety of purposes. In October 2023, Microsoft’s CEO said that GitHub Copilot software had over a million paying users and more than 37,000 organizations using their software.
So, to sum it up, programmed use AI in their workflows today.
What AI to use for coding?
It depends on what you need help for. In fact, there are AI tools that help you manage your projects, write code, detect bugs and security issues, help you learn new programming languages, and more.
The examples we shared above are great tools to start with if you want to add AI to your workflow. Finally, there is no harm in using AI in your coding work as long as you take the necessary steps to ensure the quality of your work and take accountability as needed.
Is AI the future of programming?
For now, it is smart to stay updated with the latest AI tools and trends. Continuous learning and upskilling are great ways to stay ahead of the curve, regardless of whether AI in programming will continue to be relevant.
