The AI Revolution in Development
Embracing the Future of Software Engineering with AI Tooling
As software engineers, we're constantly looking towards the future of our rapidly evolving industry. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent months, many have expressed concerns about the potential loss of jobs due to automation. However, the reality is that AI is opening up new opportunities for software engineers, and the future looks brighter than ever.
Instead of fearing AI, we should embrace it as a valuable tool that can enhance our day-to-day work. One such example is Copilot, an AI-powered coding assistant that's transforming the way we write code. While still in its infancy, Copilot is already making a significant impact on software development.
The closest parallel I can think of to this technology shift was the introduction of TypeScript. I remember being shown string literals for the first time in TypeScript and instantly recognizing its value. It was a paradigm shift in how I thought about JavaScript and building a system backed by static type systems. TypeScript eliminated a majority of debugging issues for me by removing the need to constantly check for null or undefined values. With TypeScript, I felt like I could focus on the business problem, not the language problem.
Similarly, AI tooling is empowering software engineers to concentrate on solving complex problems rather than wrestling with the intricacies of coding. As AI continues to advance, we can expect even greater improvements in the way we develop software, enabling us to enhance our productivity, reduce cognitive load, and ultimately become better software engineers.
Busting Cognitive Load with AI
AI-powered tools like Copilot excel at automating away the mundane aspects of coding, freeing up our mental bandwidth for more complex tasks. By handling simple logs, debugging, and other routine tasks, they reduce the cognitive load on developers, allowing us to focus on the more challenging aspects of our work.
Beyond automating simple tasks, AI tools also serve as a treasure trove of information. They can quickly provide us with information that we might not have at the top of our minds, such as HTTP response codes. For instance, when checking for missing query parameters, Copilot knows that the appropriate response code is 422. This kind of instant access to knowledge is invaluable for developers, saving us time and mental energy.
AI as Your Coding Sidekick
AI-powered tools are not only useful for automating mundane tasks and providing quick access to information, but they can also simplify working with complex language features. These tools make it incredibly easy to adapt and modify our code, even when dealing with intricate programming constructs.
Take, for example, the process of switching from Axios to the built-in HTTPS library in a NodeJS Lambda function. In the past, this might have been a cumbersome task, requiring manual code conversion and extensive research. However, with the help of AI tools like ChatGPT, the conversion process becomes seamless. Simply send your code to ChatGPT, ask it to convert, and you'll receive the modified code in no time.
By leveraging AI tools to handle complex language features, we can streamline our development process, reduce the risk of errors, and focus on the more creative and engaging aspects of software engineering.
A Future Focused on Problem-Solving
As AI tools continue to evolve and improve, we can anticipate a significant shift in the way software engineers approach their work. In five years, we might find ourselves in a position where we can dedicate our full attention to the problem at hand, without being bogged down by the minutiae of coding.
This new level of abstraction will allow us to focus on system design and complex problem-solving, while AI tools handle the monotonous aspects of writing code. Far from taking our jobs away, these tools will empower us with a superpower: the ability to produce high-quality code while devoting our excess mental energy to tackling challenging problems.
By embracing AI tools and integrating them into our workflows, we'll be able to elevate the field of software engineering to new heights. Our focus will shift from writing code to solving problems, and our creative and intellectual potential will be unleashed.