AI assisted coding...it's going mainstream and here's why.

Earlier this month Microsoft`s AI -assisted Intellicode coding tool for came out of preview.

RIZE Digital specialises in Java development for iGaming, so I asked Alex Mos our CTO for his opinion on this new tool.

Microsoft say: "IntelliCode saves you time by putting what you’re most likely to use at the top of your completion list"

Strange thing is; Alex has been an equivalent tool; Jetbrains IntelliJ....for years!

Microsoft product: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/services/intellicode/

Jetbrains product: https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/

What's the difference? According to Alex RIZE CTO, not much...

IntelliJ has existed in various versions since 2001. Over the years they've incorporated AI assisted suggestion generation and its very effective.

Marketing

Microsoft have come very late to AI -assisted coding. But there is one huge difference between Microsoft and Jetbrains : Marketing.

Were all influenced by marketing. Reason were cynical about marketing; it preys on a lack of deep knowledge.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Microsoft+AI+TV+ad

Microsoft have been pumping their 'AI' message since around May 2018. They release a product that's been around for years in other forms and pitch it as 'new and revolutionary'.

HiPPO's

HiPPO's (Highest Paid Person's Opinion) pick up on a big idea that AI will change everything. They hear about revolutionary new tools like Intellicode. The HiPPO effect kicks in and Microsoft win.

Upshot: You know when Microsoft gets involved it's because HiPPO's are now receptive to buying the 'AI coolaid'

As a knowledgeable developer, you've probably been using this AI assisted tech for a couple of years already. But now your boss knows about it.

And the next step up on AI assisted coding?

There`s a bigger question: What about software writing its own code? computer scientists in Rice university Texas built a tool called Bayou. It studied millions of lines of human written Java code from GitHub.  

https://info.askbayou.com/

Bayou focuses on making API integration easier. There are thousands of Apis with their own structures and many of them are badly documented. Bayou is designed to take some basic parameters and generate the relevant code for calling an API. 

When will AI coding happen? Clue: 10x rule.

First AI will solve specific problems like producing code to call some random API. 

Over time HiPPO's will drive change for economic reasons. That may lead to types of standardisation that AI tools need to function properly.

And then human coders will be displaced into tasks that involve human contact, strategy and overseeing the machines...

But this will only happen when:

• HiPPO favourites like Microsoft get in the ring... And now they have.
• Someone comes up with a 10x step change solution.

10x rule

Peter Thiel Massively successful venture capitalist: “A company should start when they have a technology that’s 10X better than their closest competitor.”

• Amazon was as an online bookstore with 10X more books than the average local bookstore.
• Google’s search engine gave users 10X better results than other search engines.
• Uber made it 10X easier to hail a taxicab and get around a big city.

Is AI driven coding:

• 10 times more productive?
• 10 times cheaper?
• 10 times better?
• 10 times faster?

Not yet.

There is always a lot of inertia with change. AI coding is incrementally better. But not 10 times better.

Microsoft`s AI driven suggestion engine is an iterative improvement on previous coder tools. It's probably 'x0.5 better'...

Finally

Question is: When will AI coding be ubiquitous? My guess: 10 years... These technologies have to reach a tipping point where they are '10x better than before' and the HiPPO's are totally sold.

Alex ( CTO RIZE digital) is a highly experienced Java developer and I trust his opinion. He says: "AI assisted coding from my point of view is overrated... for now.

We both believe in years to come AI will massively influence coding. But at this stage we just don`t quite know when and how...

Sources: 

• https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/services/intellicode/
• https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/06/microsofts-intellicode-for-ai-assisted-coding-is-now-generally-available/
• https://venturebeat.com/2019/05/20/microsoft-wants-to-apply-ai-to-the-entire-application-developer-lifecycle/
• https://info.askbayou.com/how-to-use-bayou/
• https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/04/26/java_coding_automation_deep_learning_ai/

About: RIZE Digital specialises in iGaming web technology.