Advantages and Disadvantages of Using AI in Software Development

Hello, reader, my name is Ilya and I work as a Java Software Development at Swan Software Solutions.

In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence in development has become very popular.

With the advent of AI, many new professions in IT have emerged, such as Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, AI Prompt Engineer etc. These professions create, train, launch, and control artificial intelligence. The emergence of AI also affected the work of the developer.

In my work, I use AI such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, GPT.

In my opinion, there are many advantages to using the AI ​​feature, namely:

1. Code improvements and code automation
   With the help of AI, it has become much easier to automate routine tasks, such as writing template code, simple tests, and refactoring. This allows you to save a lot of time and find possible other solutions to the problem, as well as get comments and suggestions.
   It also allows you to write cleaner code and the ability to eliminate errors or problem areas at the stage of static code testing.
2. Search for information
   AI helps to find the required information in very short terms by means of correct prompts. Sometimes it offers several answer options and the programmer has the opportunity to choose the appropriate one.
   It is very convenient to clarify information, ask leading questions, give examples – this is very useful and gives flexibility in finding a solution.
3. Training
   With the help of AI, you can teach new technologies and new materials. It can be like a teacher: tell, help, give tasks, check. You can communicate with it as with a real interlocutor in voice mode.
   This is very useful because it allows you to very easily, without much effort, get valuable information and acquire useful skills.

But I also noticed many shortcomings that can interfere and cause the product to not work
properly.

1. Laziness and mental degradation
   In my opinion, the main disadvantage may be the degradation and reduction of the developer’s skills.
   This may be due to the fact that a person will try to do most of his work with the solution and help of AI. A person will be lazy to think for himself, to understand more deeply, to search for information, to read books. He can trust AI because it is popular and everyone does it and ultimately forget a lot of basic things.
2. Unreliability, incorrectness of answers
   I have often noticed that AI may not take into account all the details of the project or use incompatible, or even worse, non-existent libraries.
   During refactoring, it may not take into account some details and give a correct answer at first glance, but in the future it will lead to the emergence of bugs.
3. AI on a large scale
   Sometimes module generation can be simple, but in my experience and in the experience of my colleagues, it will be much faster to figure it out and do it yourself than to explain to artificial intelligence how to do it and check all the nuances and features of the work.
   When a developer does it himself, he delves into what he is doing, he knows how it works from the inside, he knows the vulnerabilities, he knows how to test it.
   If you give the task to AI, then you can get double the work, when a person has spent a lot of time explaining and correcting the work, and then began to figure it out and delve into the result.

In my opinion, AI is a very powerful tool, but only in the right hands.

It can both develop a person and dull him. It should be used in doses, checking his answers. Always have an approximately expected result of the work to compare the answer. And you do not need to think that AI is a full-fledged employee who can be trusted with real tasks, without an existing employee involved.

Perhaps this time will come unnoticed and very soon, or perhaps it will not come at all, perhaps…

At Swan Software Solutions, we always work to expand our skills and use the latest technologies to create reliable, scalable, and affordable solutions. To find out more about how we can help your company incorporate AI or for other technology needs, schedule a free assessment.