Index
You will have probably already noticed the current hype surrounding artificial intelligence. ChatGPT's algorithm, in particular, has swept through the media landscape like a tornado.
As revolutionary as ChatGPT is, when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), it is not only this bot that is causing a stir. In recent years, a whole range of AI-supported tools have come onto the market that, thanks to intelligent algorithms, promise to lighten your workload and increase your productivity. But is this really the case, especially in the development world?
Github copilot
GitHub Copilot is an AI tool that has been used by over a million developers in the first year since its release. It functions as a search engine for GitHub repositories and only requires natural language input to produce finished code. Some additional filters ensure that faulty code, for instance, is excluded from the search.
GitHub Copilot uses Codex, a system developed by OpenAI (the same team that created ChatGPT and DALL-E), to convert natural language into code. Trained on billions of lines of code, Copilot is designed to work with high accuracy. Although input can be given in natural language, GitHub Copilot is compatible with dozens of programming languages, offering great versatility. Code generation is based on probability: Copilot analyses the context and proposes the most suitable solution to the problem.
Unlike what one might think, the generated code is not simply copied from an existing snippet, but produced through the data it was trained on. Only in about 1 % of cases, the longest parts (more than 150 characters) may coincide with public code available on GitHub. This is particularly useful for automating repetitive or trivial tasks that would take developers time. Entering the desired logic, GitHub Copilot suggests code that can be implemented immediately.
Copilot's artificial intelligence does not only find suitable code: it also takes into account the context and style conventions of the current project. Developers can accept the suggestion or explore different options to better suit their needs. This is all done seamlessly in the development environment, as Copilot integrates seamlessly with editors such as Visual Studio, VS Code, JetBrains IDE and Neovim. In this way, Copilot simplifies repetitive processes, freeing up valuable time for more complex tasks and improving overall productivity.
Other artificial intelligence tools
Microsoft copilot
Microsoft Copilot is an advanced artificial intelligence-based platform designed to increase productivity within the Microsoft 365 suite and improve user interaction. It uses artificial intelligence to increase user efficiency by providing intelligent assistance functions in various applications. A core element of Microsoft 365, Copilot integrates advanced technologies such as Large Language Models (LLM) and generative AI to ensure a seamless and responsive real-time user experience in applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.
Microsoft Copilot offers several features to simplify programming. The most important is automatic code completion, which suggests portions of code based on what the user is writing, making writing faster. Also, it is possible to obtain detailed explanations of the selected code and suggestions for improvements. Copilot also supports debugging, helping to detect errors and correct them more efficiently. Finally, it can generate complete functions or translate code between different programming languages, optimising the developers' workflow.
Codeium
Codeium is an artificial intelligence-based code completion tool. It works similarly to GitHub Copilot, using AI patterns to suggest or complete code as the user writes and is designed to compete with it.
Codeium offers several features for developers. The first is automatic code completion, similar to Copilot and GX, with the possibility of entering comments for more precise suggestions. The second is code explanation: by selecting a block and choosing ‘explain selected code block’, you get the corresponding documentation. Other functions include debugging and the chat bot, with an additional option to display all code functions by typing ‘add function’, saving time. Finally, Codeium offers code translation between different programming languages.
CodeGeex
CodeGeeX is another code completion tool that uses advanced artificial intelligence models to understand and suggest code. It was developed as an open-source research project by Shanghai AI Lab and supports over 20 programming languages.
CodeGeeX offers several features. Automatic code completion predicts what is being written and suggests the final code, even from a simple descriptive comment. The code explanation function allows you to select parts of code for detailed documentation and additional comments. Automated debugging helps save time and energy, while the integrated chat bot allows you to ask questions and get suggestions in English. Finally, code translation makes it easy to convert code between different programming languages.
DevInterface: our opinion
Our opinion: GitHub Copilot is and remains an assistance system, as are other artificial intelligence tools such as Codeium, Microsoft Copilot and CodeGeeX. These tools are a great step forward in improving developer productivity, helping them to write code faster, correct errors and translate blocks of code between different languages. However, it is essential to understand that these tools cannot replace the fundamental skills required in programming. They depend on the user's experience and knowledge to be effective. Unless there is a good understanding of programming languages, the suggestions offered may be confusing or even useless.
In order to really benefit from these systems, developers must already have a solid foundation in programming techniques. Only someone who is familiar with the structures and logic of programming languages can correctly evaluate and apply the suggestions generated by artificial intelligence. Believing one can develop software without adequate preparation, relying solely on these tools, is an unrealistic vision. AI tools are powerful assistants, but the human element, with its skills and judgement, remains irreplaceable in the development process.
Conclusione
In conclusione, strumenti come GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Copilot, Codeium, e CodeGeeX stanno rivoluzionando il modo in cui gli sviluppatori scrivono e gestiscono il codice. Ognuno di questi tool offre i suoi vantaggi, tuttavia, la reale efficacia di questi strumenti dipende dalla capacità degli sviluppatori di utilizzarli con cognizione di causa.
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