By now, the digital world and its netizens are well acquainted with the term Artificial Intelligence (AI). Be it a networking site like Instagram, an eCommerce app, or an enterprise software system, AI has penetrated almost every region of the Internet and has been widely deployed across every industry vertical (almost).
Interestingly, it has even started impacting the core of the software world, which is software development. It’s true. The very sector responsible for the creation and implementation of this technology is now using it to make development more agile, precise, faster, and better.
AI in Software Development
The software development industry is responsible for creating efficient systems that help enterprises run their huge operations seamlessly, accurately, and quickly. But with the rising demand for SaaS and continual tech evolution, developers are finding it hard to cater to the varied needs of clients within the stipulated time.
That’s where AI comes into the picture. The algorithms designed to make businesses smarter are now being employed to notch up the conventional software development lifecycle.
The subtle changes introduced to the system are slowly but surely going to result in bigger changes. This article gives an insight into how AI is and will impact software development and will create a win-win situation for both businesses and developers alike.
Selection of the Most Suitable Technology Stack
Looking for a robust front-end framework? Search it up on Google and you will find post after post giving you a detailed comparison of various front-end frameworks. The same goes for the back end, database, testing frameworks, deployment, etc.
Every business/service sector comes with its unique requirements. But matching those requirements manually and coming up with a suitable technology stack out of the numerous available options can become a tedious task for developers.
But with AI, developers can simplify this task by simply entering the sector and the specific requirements of the clients. The AI shall properly assess those requirements and can come up with the most potent technology stacks and narrow down the options for developers.
Precise Projection
Rigorous planning is an inevitable part of software development and is a time-consuming affair too. When organizations or stakeholders approach a software development company, they need to know more than the technology stack.
They need an estimation of the various factors associated with the development which include overall development time, the required team, the fixed features of the software, and course, the total cost.
Even for experts, gauging these factors and giving a nearly accurate projection is a protracted phase. AI, on the other hand, offers the most feasible solutions and comes up with a precise projection through predictive analysis.
Assistance in Software Design
The dynamics of software design have evolved in the last two decades. Gone are the days when websites were just about buttons, boxes, words, and keywords. Today, software design involves images, icons, navigation, texture, spacing, content alignment, and whatnot.
The two crucial design factors, User Interface, and User Experience play a decisive role in a site’s or app’s success. But working through UI/UX design and analyzing every single design element requires hours of ideation along with extensive planning and impeccable execution.
To speed up things, web designers are now engaging in AI-powered design tools that allow quick experimentation with ideas and introduce changes within a short period. Design tools like Khroma and Adobe Photoshop are actively integrating AI within their software to make designing a hassle-free job.
Automatic Generation of Codes
Coding is the backbone of any good software and while the Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) have done a splendid job in easing the task, it still consumes a considerable amount of time especially when the project is complex and larger.
Including AI in coding can go a long way in assisting developers with automated code generation. Let’s say a developer declares a particular feature for the app, and the AI algorithm comprehends the manual instructions and generates code for that particular feature.
This notion might seem a bit far-fetched to some people. But given the fact that language translating software is already embedded with this technology, AI-powered programming is not an impossible feat.
Rapid Prototype Development
Prototype development has evolved as another essential discipline of software development. Because of their several benefits, stakeholders prefer to go for wireframes.
Rapid prototyping development tools are available for the creation of prototypes but once again, the developer’s dilemma here is with the tools.
AI can assist developers to go for the most appropriate ones, based on the prototyping needs. Suppose an investor simply wants to get an overview of the app design, then the AI shall suggest simple prototype design tools. But if the need is the combination of design with a little coding, then the AI shall suggest better tools.
Improved Testing Services
Testing is an integral part of software development. Syntactical, functional, as well as other coding errors, can lead to a detrimental product. Testers are already employing the services of various enhanced testing frameworks for generating automated test cases.
While the automated test cases do prove helpful, it is still exhausting because of the corrections that are required at the source code. Every time there’s an error, the developers need to make a change.
But AI can prevent one from all this hassle by detecting the syntactical and functional errors right in the coding phase. This can help developers rectify the mistakes at the early stage and lower the burden on testers.
Strengthening Security
Cyber security is a priority for enterprises because protecting the privacy of their consumers is their responsibility. The security concern becomes even bigger for companies that offer paid services that involve the exchange of a user’s account details.
Now a software development company tries its best to uphold cyber security through certifications, security tools, and other techniques, but there is malicious virus or hackers who can make their way even through a small crack.
Artificial Intelligence solutions can help with cyber security through algorithms that detect scams, fraud alerts, and false notifications. AI-backed tools can enable developers to investigate any abnormal activity and create an alert system for the users.
Final Thoughts
AI has already assisted different industry verticals in streamlining their business operations and efficiently serving their customers through predictive analysis and big data.
The same AI is now reshaping the paradigms of software development. Its impact can already be seen in automated design and test tools. Automated DevOps processes are also procuring AI-backed assistance.
Artificial Intelligence solutions have already paved the way for some major changes in the software development industry. AI will have a significant impact on ideation, design, development, and on the quality of the end product. So developers better brace themselves for this paradigm shift.
Albert Smith is Digital Marketing Manager at Hidden Brains, a leading software development company specializing in mobile & web app development services. He provides innovative ways to help tech companies, startups and large enterprises build their brand.
