Artificial intelligence is changing the way developers write and test code with the use of AI-powered development and testing assistants known as “TuringBots.” These AI bots, such as GitHub Copilot and Test Rigor, are harnessing generative AI to make the process of coding more efficient and productive for both professional and citizen developers. However, it is important to note that while AI can aid in the development process, human skills are still essential for success.
Forrester analysts John Bratincevic and Diego Lo Giudice believe that the use of AI dev/test assistants will lead to a significant increase in low-code adoption, particularly among citizen developers. These assistants have the potential to streamline the onboarding process for non-technical workers and make coding more accessible and efficient.
According to Mike Lempner, head of engineering and technology at Mission Lane, generative AI has enabled even inexperienced engineers to quickly develop web applications, highlighting the speed and ease at which code can be written with AI assistance. Additionally, automating code writing can free up engineers’ time to focus on design and architecture, ultimately leading to better solutions for development environments.
Patrick Stokes, executive VP of product and industries marketing with Salesforce, emphasizes the transformative speed at which generative AI can produce high-quality code, enabling developers to focus on testing, security, and user interface improvements. Stokes also points out that generative AI empowers people to write code more quickly and effectively, ultimately benefiting end-users.
Dana Lawson, senior VP of engineering at Netlify, echoes the sentiment that AI automation can alleviate tedious tasks in software development, allowing human developers to focus on more impactful and creative work. She also notes that AI experimentation in code review, documentation cleanup, and project outlines can offer tangible benefits to the developer experience.
Overall, generative AI is driving the evolution of low-code capabilities, with natural language prompts emerging as a key enabler for interacting with visual tools. Leon Kallikkadan, vice president of technology at Atrium, emphasizes the role of generative AI as an assistant to developers, suggesting that it can help reduce redundancy, suggest alternative coding approaches, and establish standardized best practices for coding.
In conclusion, the integration of generative AI into the software development lifecycle holds great potential for improving developer efficiency and code quality, ultimately empowering developers to focus on more impactful and creative work.
