By Andy Nallappan, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Software Business Operations, Broadcom Software
In December 2021, Broadcom Software published our blog: Predictions for 2022. We will now explore each of these predictions in more depth with this blog series. For this blog, our topic is artificial intelligence.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) transformation is taking place even faster than anticipated, with increasing numbers of enterprise companies incorporating AI software into their development process. As I mentioned in my previous predictions blog from December 2021, about what to expect in 2022, AI is not only based in the future — it is here.
We’re already seeing a range of activities, such as AI-driven services and development tools with AI bots being used in software testing. And as AI and machine learning methods become more widespread, enterprise software developers increasingly rely upon them to create better software code. Indeed, the global AI software market is expected to reach $62 billion this year, but this is just the early stages of a more fundamental shift.
You already can find bug prediction tools such as Google’s w3C that make use of Machine Learning algorithms and deeper statistical analysis to find bad code. Similarly, developers also have access to AI-driven frameworks such as Accord.Net to integrate libraries with C# language, including features such as self-learning algorithms, signal processing, scientific computing and pattern recognition, among others.
Developers are also benefiting from the proliferation of AI-based programming assistants such as Kite for Python that provide help with code recommendations and debugging routines. Another example is GitHub Copilot, an AI programmer that not only removes the guesswork from coding but also offers suggestions on how to generate better code.
Transforming Software Development
And these are just the coming attractions for what’s over the horizon. With businesses looking to improve their internal processes and foster more data-driven decision making, AI is going to transform software development as we know it. Let me briefly explain how this is likely going to unfold.
First, artificial intelligence algorithms are designed to make decisions, often by using real-time data. This leads to powerful insights since — unlike humans — AI algos can instantly comb through mountains of disparate data for insights and then recommend or take the appropriate action based on their analysis of the data.
Think about what this means for the future of project planning. The process of software development can be complex and time-consuming. It must go through various stages from ideation and product definition to strategic designing, coding and testing. But we’re already seeing AI’s impact, reducing failure rates by 75% in the software production environment.
With AI, developers will be able to more rapidly gather all the relevant information needed to gain an in-depth understanding of the project requirements.
As more AI-based tools become available, developers will have a way to efficiently go through the millions of lines of undocumented code — something beyond the capabilities of mere mortals by themselves — to locate helpful snippets as needed. AI assistants will help search out development patterns in code to determine where it can be reused.
This constitutes a breakthrough moment where developers will be able to make connections and find patterns and, often, predict future directions as AI systems will recommend options that might escape most humans.
All this is going to translate into more rapid prototyping so enterprises can develop and deploy apps that register vast improvements in overall user experience. The upshot: a more streamlined workflow. That not only makes software developers and testers more productive, but it also optimizes procedures, and, ultimately, contributes to the production of far better code.
Evolving AI
Some within the software community have expressed concern about their longevity in a world that’s increasingly dependent on AI. It’s obviously impossible to predict the unknown with certainty but while AI will inevitably force an evolution in the role of software developers, I think it’s likely that the worst-case scenarios are overblown.
First, we’re talking about a transition that is going to play out over a period of years — perhaps even decades — so we’re far from the point when AI systems are going to replace coders. More immediately, AI can have a major positive impact on how developers work. Instead of wasting their time on boring, rote tasks, developers can instead hand those chores off to an artificially intelligent machine so they can tackle more complex and interesting problems.
Broadcom Software and AI
Let’s not forget software development is complex and it needs a human brain to give it direction. Instead of reducing jobs, AI has the potential to translate into more demand for software developers who can work together with AI to write better code.
For years, proponents have touted the revolutionary impact AI was going to have in enterprise computing. We’re fast approaching that tipping point.
Contact Broadcom Software now to see how we can help you solve for your AI-driven enterprise software needs.
About Andy Nallappan:
Andy Nallappan
Broadcom Software
Andy is the Chief Technology Officer and Head of Software Business Operations for Broadcom Software. He oversees the DevOps, SaaS Platform & Operations, and Marketing for the software business divisions within Broadcom.
