The new roles for the developer in AI assisted workflows for the github copilot

In a previous post, I shared the idea of AI assisted developer tools

Building on that idea, I propose here how developer workflows could change.

The recurring theme is:

AI automates part of the workflow but leaves a significant role in each case for the developer

In each of these enhanced workflows, the focus shifts from routine tasks to high-level problem-solving, allowing developers to invest their efforts in creativity and innovation while AI takes care of repetitive tasks and best practices. This reimagined workflow leverages AI as a collaborative assistant that enhances productivity, consistency, and quality

In each process below, Ilist the existing workflow and an enhanced workflow with the potential new role for the developer.?

I used some prompts and chatGPT for this analysis

1. Automated Code Reviewer

Basic Workflow: Developers write code, then manually review for coding standards, best practices, and potential vulnerabilities before merging it into the codebase.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: An automated code reviewer analyzes the code as it’s written, flags non-compliant patterns, suggests refactoring, and highlights potential security issues.

Developer Focus: Developers can concentrate on the logic and features of the code rather than repeatedly scanning for compliance, trusting that the AI reviewer will ensure adherence to standards.

2. Security Vulnerability Scanner

Basic Workflow: Developers manually run vulnerability scans periodically or before a major release, identifying and fixing security risks.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: An AI-based vulnerability scanner continuously scans the code for security issues (e.g., SQL injections, weak cryptography), offering real-time security suggestions.

Developer Focus: Developers can focus on feature development without compromising on security, as the scanner proactively identifies risks as they code.

3. Automated Testing and Bug Detection

Basic Workflow: Developers write code and manually create test cases, running them after development to check for bugs.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The tool automatically generates unit and integration tests as code is written, suggesting edge cases and ensuring comprehensive test coverage.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on refining their code and improving logic, confident that potential bugs and edge cases are covered by the automated tests.

4. Auto Documentation Generator

Basic Workflow: Developers write code and then document their code manually, explaining the purpose and structure of functions.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The documentation tool analyzes code structure and purpose, auto-generating comments and documentation in real time as code is written.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on writing clean, functional code, knowing that their work will be documented consistently without extra effort.

5. Knowledge Sharing Bots

Basic Workflow: Developers search for answers on coding queries in documentation or knowledge bases, often relying on peer support.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: A knowledge-sharing bot provides instant answers from an internal knowledge base, helping developers find solutions to common coding issues directly within their IDE.

Developer Focus: Developers concentrate on coding rather than searching for solutions, knowing they have quick access to relevant information as they need it.

6. Code Snippet Library

Basic Workflow: Developers often search for reusable code snippets from external sources or refer to prior projects for similar patterns.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The tool identifies patterns in the codebase and suggests commonly used code snippets, making it easy for developers to maintain consistency.

Developer Focus: Developers can focus on higher-level architecture and logic, reusing optimized snippets that enhance uniformity across projects.

7. Pair Programming Assistant

Basic Workflow: Developers pair program with another person for real-time feedback on improvements, catching errors and optimizing code.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The AI pair programming assistant suggests real-time code improvements, refactoring tips, and optimization strategies directly within the IDE.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on creative problem-solving and writing high-quality code while the assistant handles code refinement and optimization.

8. Automated PR Suggestions

Basic Workflow: Developers create pull requests (PRs) and manually review each other’s code, suggesting changes for performance and code quality.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The tool analyzes PRs and offers automatic suggestions for code simplification and optimization based on learned patterns.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on reviewing core logic and design, leaving routine optimization suggestions to the AI assistant.

9. Sprint Planner

Basic Workflow: Project managers and developers manually analyze GitHub issues and task history to plan sprints and assign tasks.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: An AI-powered sprint planner analyzes historical data to suggest task allocation and optimal sprint planning.

Developer Focus: Developers concentrate on task execution rather than the logistics of sprint planning, trusting that tasks are allocated based on skill and workload distribution.

10. Pipeline Setup Assistant

Basic Workflow: Developers configure CI/CD pipelines manually, customizing build, test, and deployment steps based on project requirements.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The assistant auto-generates CI/CD configurations by analyzing project characteristics, setting up test, build, and deployment workflows.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on coding, with assurance that CI/CD best practices are integrated automatically.

11. Code Mentor Bot

Basic Workflow: Developers rely on online forums or peers to get feedback on code quality and potential improvements.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The mentor bot gives real-time feedback, explaining suggestions and proposing improvements for design and efficiency.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on learning and improving code quality with guidance, gaining insights into best practices without external dependency.

12. Refactoring Assistant

Basic Workflow: Developers manually identify areas needing refactoring, such as long functions or duplicate code.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The assistant detects code smells and suggests refactoring strategies to improve code maintainability.

Developer Focus: Developers prioritize creating new features while the tool handles code structure refinement for long-term maintainability.

13. API Integration Assistant

Basic Workflow: Developers write code to integrate with APIs, handling authentication, error handling, and parsing responses.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The assistant auto-generates integration code snippets, handling repetitive tasks and suggesting error handling strategies.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on logic and purpose of API usage rather than the technical intricacies of integration.

14. IaC Template Generator

Basic Workflow: Developers manually create Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) templates for cloud infrastructure setup.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The tool generates IaC templates based on project requirements, incorporating best practices for infrastructure setup.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on specifying infrastructure needs, confident that deployment setup adheres to industry standards.

15. Secure Coding Assistant

Basic Workflow: Developers manually review code to identify security vulnerabilities or follow checklists for secure coding practices.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The assistant flags security issues, suggesting secure coding practices as code is written.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on functionality while security standards are enforced automatically, reducing oversight.

16. Data Cleaning Assistant

Basic Workflow: Data scientists manually inspect and clean data, handling missing values and normalization.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The assistant suggests common data cleaning steps, identifying outliers, and handling missing values.

Developer Focus: Data scientists focus on model building and analysis, knowing that the data meets quality standards through automated cleaning.

17. Roadmap Assistant

Basic Workflow: Project managers and developers manually create project roadmaps by setting milestones and identifying tasks.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The assistant analyzes existing code and projects, generating a roadmap with suggested milestones and manageable tasks.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on execution, trusting that the roadmap reflects optimized task dependencies and priorities.

18. UI Component Generator

Basic Workflow: Developers manually create reusable UI components, ensuring design consistency and accessibility.

Enhanced Workflow:

New Workflow: The tool generates UI components for frameworks like React or Angular based on design patterns.

Developer Focus: Developers focus on user experience and functionality, while design consistency is managed automatically.

welcome thoughts if you are doing work on similar lines