11 Oct 2023 Writing and Optimising Code with AI Code Generation Tools

In the fast-paced world of software development, artificial intelligence has ushered in a new era of possibilities. AI code generation tools are emerging as game-changers, promising to revolutionise the way we write and optimise code. In this article, we will explore the immense potential of these tools to enhance code efficiency and quality, as well as examining the potential drawbacks.

What are AI Code Generation Tools?

AI code generation tools are advanced software applications that use machine learning algorithms, especially deep learning techniques, to assist developers in writing code. By analysing patterns and learning from various programming languages and coding styles in vast open-source repositories of existing codebases, they can offer intelligent suggestions, generate snippets, and even propose entire functions or classes.

Benefits and Drawbacks with Generative AI

There are many benefits to using AI code generation tools:

• Improved code efficiency: Such tools can significantly improve code efficiency by automating repetitive tasks and providing optimised code suggestions. They help streamline the development process, reduce manual errors, and optimise the use of resources.
• Time-saving: These tools can save developers valuable time by offering suggestions and automating mundane coding tasks. They enhance productivity by accelerating the code-writing process and reducing the need for extensive manual research.
• Learning aid for beginners: They can be a valuable resource for novice developers, helping them to understand coding concepts, syntax and best practices, as well as providing real-time feedback and guidance, allowing beginners to learn and to better their coding skills faster.

However, there are also some potential drawbacks and limitations associated with generative AI:

• Overreliance on tools: Depending too heavily on such tools without understanding the underlying concepts may hinder a developer’s ability to learn and grow as a professional.
• Limited creativity: While AI tools can generate code snippets and suggestions, they may lack the creative problem-solving abilities that human developers can offer. Complex or unique coding scenarios may still require human intervention and expertise. Bear in mind that they cannot understand business logic, so the code generated may not be the best for your particular use case.
• Accuracy concerns: These tools are trained on large code repositories, which means they inherit any biases, errors or inefficient practices present in the training data, so developers still need to review and validate their suggestions to check accuracy and adherence to coding standards. It’s advisable to employ this technology to autocomplete tasks that you understand, not to attempt things that you don’t.

Best Generative AI Tool Alternatives

In the world of AI code generation tools, three alternatives stand out: GitHub Copilot, Amazon CodeWhisperer, and Tabnine.

GitHub Copilot

Developed in collaboration with OpenAI, Copilot is an AI-powered code completion tool that has revolutionised the coding experience. Thanks to its seamless integration with popular code editors, Copilot provides real-time, context-aware code suggestions as developers type. Its vast knowledge base, derived from analysing extensive code repositories, allows it to generate accurate and relevant code snippets based on the coding context.

What’s more, the Copilot Labs extension enhances its capabilities by providing advanced features like code refactoring, generating tests, and translating code into various languages, which simplifies code migration and facilitates multi-language development. It enables developers to automatically optimise code, to identify code smells, and it can suggest alternative implementations for improved structure and performance, as well as generating test cases and suites to guarantee code reliability and software quality. By continuously evolving its capabilities, Copilot Labs empowers developers with AI-driven tools that increase productivity, code quality, and software development.

Amazon CodeWhisperer

Amazon CodeWhisperer is another AI-powered tool designed to optimise code for maximum performance and efficiency. By analysing code and identifying potential bottlenecks, CodeWhisperer suggests improvements based on best practices and performance benchmarks, helping developers to write optimised code to enhance execution speed, minimise resource consumption, and improve overall performance.

Tabnine

Tabnine is an AI-powered code completion tool that offers intelligent suggestions about the coding process. It analyses patterns from huge code repositories by leveraging deep learning algorithms, and provides accurate and contextually relevant code completions. Tabnine also supports a wide range of programming languages, making it a versatile tool for developers across various projects.

Security concerns

It’s extremely important to be aware of the security implications of sharing our code and sensitive information with a third-party assistant: when we send our code to AI servers, it undergoes thorough analysis and interpretation, enabling AI assistants to learn from it.

Reputable AI platforms prioritise data security and employ robust measures, like encryption and access controls, to safeguard sensitive data (like .env files) and to prevent any unauthorised access or leaks. AI assistants primarily learn from code and context, and user privacy is respected through the anonymisation of data.

To ensure maximum security, you should review protocols and avoid sharing sensitive information; then you can confidently harness the capabilities of AI whilst protecting your code and data.

Conclusions

Here at ClearPeaks, we understand the importance of adopting the latest advances in technology to refine code efficiency and quality. AI code generation tools have proven to be invaluable in the revolutionising of software development. By leveraging tools like GitHub Copilot, Amazon CodeWhisperer and Tabnine, developers can significantly improve productivity, optimise code generation, and provide valuable learning aids for beginners.

At ClearPeaks, we believe in finding the balance between AI assistants and growing human skills like creativity, understanding, and critical thinking. While these tools offer immense benefits in terms of time-saving and code optimisation, it is vital to maintain the personal touch and to ensure developers continue to expand their expertise. Combining the power of AI with our dedicated team of specialists makes ClearPeaks a leading provider of first-rate software solutions.

Do you want to know more about AI and generative code tools, and what these cutting-edge technologies can do for your organisation? Contact us now!