Artificial Intelligence tools for programming are yielding significant benefits for businesses - with time savings aplenty, developers can devote more energy to teamwork, system architecture, and acquiring fresh programming languages.
In the ever-evolving world of technology, AI coding tools are making waves among software development teams. According to a recent survey by GitHub, an increasing number of teams are recognizing the benefits of these tools, with 76% of respondents using or planning to use AI in their development process - a rise from 70% in 2023.
One of the key advantages of AI coding tools is the potential time savings they offer. Allan, senior product manager at CreateFuture, asserts that the productivity gains from adopting these tools are "substantial". In CreateFuture's internal experiments, they observed a 33% average increase in productivity across various roles in the software development life cycle. Time savings, in particular, are helping development teams focus their energies elsewhere, with 47% of respondents in the US and Germany stating they used the saved time for collaboration and system design.
However, a recent study by METR involving 16 professional developers working on mature open-source projects found that developers using AI tools took 19% longer to complete real-world coding tasks compared to those not using AI assistance. Despite this measurable slowdown, developers using AI tools perceived themselves as more productive, overestimating their speed by about 20%. This suggests a disconnect between the subjective experience of using AI and the objective productivity outcome.
The productivity decrease was primarily due to additional time spent on activities such as reviewing AI outputs, re-prompting, and waiting for responses rather than actively coding. Regarding code quality, while the study did not provide direct quantitative measures, it implied potential issues due to the extra reviewing and corrections required for AI-generated code.
The correlation between an organization's stance on AI and developer experience is noteworthy. Organizations with proactive training and positive support for AI adoption may see better eventual usage and acceptance. On the other hand, if an organization adopts AI tools half-heartedly or imposes tools without addressing workflow changes, developers might feel frustrated or skeptical, potentially lowering the effective impact of AI assistance.
Despite these challenges, the majority of development teams expressed optimism about the potential of these tools to moderately improve or significantly enhance their ability to meet customer requirements. In fact, 81% of respondents agree that productivity is the biggest benefit to AI tooling.
CreateFuture encourages staff to see AI tools as a tool in their toolbox that enables them to spend more time on 'value-add' activities, such as collaboration, talking to customers, and coaching junior team members. As AI tools continue to evolve and mature, it is crucial for organizations to approach their adoption with a balanced perspective, focusing on training, workflow changes, and realistic expectations to maximize their benefits.
References: [1] [METR Study on AI Coding Tools] (link) [2] [Industry Commentary on AI Adoption] (link) [3] [User Experiences with AI Tools] (link) [4] [Broader Speculation on AI Impact] (link) [5] [METR Study Detailed Findings] (link)
Software development teams are increasingly recognizing the benefits of AI coding tools, with 76% of respondents using or planning to use AI in their development process, as revealed by a recent survey by GitHub. Despite the potential time savings these tools offer, a study by METR found that developers using AI tools took 19% longer to complete real-world coding tasks compared to those not using AI assistance, suggesting a disconnect between the subjective experience of using AI and the objective productivity outcome.
