A brand new survey of software program builders launched at present exhibits a broad understanding of the dangers concerned in utilizing generative AI to assist software program growth tasks, however there’s equally widespread acceptance. that the know-how is already proving helpful. The survey, printed by GitLab, used the outcomes of 1,001 responses collected in June 2023. A 3rd of these surveyed work straight within the know-how sector, whereas the rest are unfold throughout a variety of enterprise areas, together with banking and monetary companies. communications and manufacturing.
Defending buyer knowledge is among the principal issues of builders
Most of these surveyed stated they’d at the least one severe concern about the usage of generative AI in software program growth. And 79% stated AI instruments’ entry to non-public info or mental property was an issue, largely attributable to issues about defending buyer knowledge.
“Privateness, safety and mental property additionally emerged as widespread themes within the obstacles that respondents stated they encountered or count on to come across whereas making use of AI within the software program growth life cycle,” the report stated. 9 out of ten respondents stated they think about privateness and mental property safety considerably when making selections about the usage of AI instruments.
Builders are accelerating the adoption of AI
Regardless of its acknowledged potential drawbacks, AI is making its means into most growth shops, in line with the survey. Lower than 1 / 4 of respondents already use AI instruments for software program growth, and practically two-thirds (64%) stated they’ve plans to undertake them inside the subsequent two years. Solely 8% stated they’d no plans to undertake AI for growth functions, and 1% stated they’d banned its use.
The commonest use instances for AI in programming are chatbots for pure language help in documentation, in addition to creating automated checks, each of which had been in use by 41% of respondents. Builders additionally actively use AI to generate summaries of code adjustments (39%), observe experiments with machine studying fashions (38%), and counsel and generate code (36%).
This means, in line with GitLab, that energetic code technology shouldn’t be the one space the place AI can add worth. Builders report that they spend solely 25% of their common workday writing code, so the power of AI to assist with different duties – be it testing, documentation, upkeep or figuring out vulnerabilities – signifies that AI instruments have a variety of potential purposes in growth.
