Expert Interview: The Impact of ChatGPT and Generative AI on Software Development

As technology advances, many professionals, such as designers, writers, and software developers, are concerned that generative AI may replace their jobs.

At Euvic, we keep up with the latest technologies and actively use generative AI to improve efficiency for both our clients and ourselves. AI technology allows us to identify patterns in code and automate repetitive tasks, resulting in faster execution and higher-quality work.

We’re also developing our own AI solutions, such as the Euvic CodeBot based on ChatGPT.

In this interview with one of our AI experts, we aim to clarify recent AI myths and provide our thoughts on how AI is changing the industry. We’ll explain how it works from our first-hand experience in simple terms, avoiding complex language and romanticized stories.

Definition: What is Generative AI in Software Development?

Generative AI in software development is a subset of artificial intelligence that produces content, code, or text based on prompts and information fed into the system. It uses advanced algorithms and machine learning to understand patterns and generate novel outputs. This technology can help execute tasks, foster innovation, reduce repetitive work for developers, and even support communication.

However, developers need to guide and validate the generative AI outputs to ensure quality and meet specific requirements for the final software product. While offering efficiency gains, there are potential risks involved in using this technology. Uploading confidential information could result in disastrous consequences, as it could be shared with other end-users, potentially leaking sensitive data to the public.

We’ve Interviewed Jakub Syty, Technical Team Leader at Euvic

Jakub joined Euvic as a software engineer seven years ago and eventually progressed to become a manager for technical teams. His work includes a mix of hands-on software development skills, project management abilities, and team management expertise. His primary responsibility is the delivery of the product efficiently and with the highest quality.

Jakub’s initial interaction with ChatGPT happened naturally out of personal interest, and he kept trying to incorporate it into the daily work and needs of himself and his team. As a result, he became the go-to person at Euvic for finding the best leverage of generative AI in software development.

He has built a team of AI experts within the company that strives to stay at the forefront of this new technology. In addition to reviewing code and supporting with other repetitive tasks, Jakub recognized the potential that ChatGPT has on communication, within the company as well as with clients.

Currently, Jakub is working on Euvic’s GPTs (Chat bots) based on individual requirements and is building products for major clients, some of the most significant and impactful companies in manufacturing, ecommerce, finance, and other industries.

Due to confidentiality reasons, specific client cases cannot be shared.

1. What Are the Most Promising Approaches for Incorporating AI Technology into Software Development?

AI-powered tools have the potential to improve media production and editing, making various simple tasks more efficient. In the realm of software development, ChatGPT is emerging as an exciting and promising technology that is already contributing to increased work efficiency.

For instance, we have successfully developed our Euvic CodeBot, which is designed to cater to our team and clients for various purposes. It operates on a secure configuration and utilizes a Microsoft Azure engine to prevent the inadvertent sharing of data publicly.

Our continuous experimentation and dedication to technological advancement have demonstrated the significant support AI provides for repetitive tasks such as code reviewing and editing. While it may not yet be able to completely take over code development, it undeniably saves time and excels at handling straightforward tasks.

Another key area where AI can be useful is communication. In software development, communication is critical, and precise language is essential. Developers may use terms that project managers don’t understand, and vice versa. There may also be communication challenges in emails, where emotions and interpretations can be unclear. Utilizing ChatGPT can help rephrase messages to ensure that points are conveyed, unambiguously, and without biased opinions, eliminating any room for guesswork.

2. What Are the Current Limitations of Generative AI in Software Development?”

As discussed earlier, when I refer to Gen AI, we’re talking about ChatGPT. We rely entirely on its defined technical constraints. One limitation we’re dealing with is its limited ability to input or upload information.

To get the best results, you need to use the appropriate prompts and input your information correctly and completely. With ChatGPT, you can upload a complete PDF user manual for a specific software solution, and the system will analyze the information and provide responses to your specific queries afterward. This method can be very helpful and time-saving.

However, the amount of information that you can upload into the chat is limited, and you don’t receive any feedback on how much of the information was successfully processed. This limit is called the context size limitation, which refers to “tokenized” information units. There is no official limit definition, and it’s difficult to deal with. We expect this limitation to be improved soon though.

Another limitation of ChatGPT is the lack of transparency regarding OpenAI’s technology. ChatGPT is a black box, and nobody can access the actual algorithm to predict how it works. The system is non-deterministic, meaning that there is no certainty in the response. You could get another response for every query.

Finally, one major limitation is the lack of official terminology. Since the technology is so new and rapidly evolving, different terms can be used to refer to the same thing, which could cause communication problems in teams.

3. What Are the Risks of Using Generative AI Tools in General, and How Can We Mitigate Them?

One of the main concerns of using ChatGPT in companies is the potential risk of data leaks. As the system continues to learn and evolve, it can be challenging to distinguish between confidential information and public data.

In the past, there have been instances where information entered into ChatGPT accidentally became publicly accessible, and once this happens, it cannot be removed. Please note that this only applies to the public/private solution and can be avoided by using a hosted setup like ours.

On our hosted solution, we access the GPT model via API and host it on a Microsoft Azure engine. This approach prevents the training of the public model with confidential or private information.

It is worth mentioning that the software development industry is not likely to be affected as much as the media production industry, social media, etc. However, given the exponential growth of this technology, the long-term effects are still unknown. There are concerns about the spread of fake information that would be difficult or even impossible to distinguish from reality.

4. What Are the Biggest Misconceptions About AI That Are Widely Spread or Even Dangerous?

I have been working with the GPT model for a while now, and from my experience, I know that the system cannot truly comprehend anything. Therefore, it cannot be considered intelligent in the real sense.

To explain it better, the system is like an algorithm that has been fed thousands of books and knows how to combine words in a way that sounds natural to us, with a high probability of matching. This concept has been around for many years, and ChatGPT is only a significant improvement and implementation of the system.

The system is technically designed to be limited to this concept and cannot become genuinely “intelligent” in the human-like, conscious way that people tend to romanticize.

This is one of the most significant misconceptions, in my opinion. People often fear that artificial intelligence will take over the world soon, but I don’t see that happening, at least not with the current technology.

5. What Role Does Euvic See AI Playing in the Future of Software Development, as a Company With 6000+ People?

Euvic is a company that was established in 2005. Since its inception, the company has seen various waves of innovation. With new technologies emerging, evolving, and eventually stagnating, change is a constant factor in the industry. Euvic has developed a culture that embraces change and always stays on top of new technologies. They monitor, adapt, and work with the latest trends.

While AI has brought significant changes to the industry, Euvic does not foresee software developers being replaced by AI anytime soon. Instead, AI is seen as a tool that can enhance productivity, making work, coding, and communication more effective. This tool is utilized to maintain a competitive edge in the industry.

Discover the Opportunities of AI with Us — Let’s Innovate!

Our team of expert software engineers comes from diverse backgrounds and possesses a wide range of skills. Euvic offers a unique approach to development. It starts with having over 100 specialized in-house teams of analysts, consultants, and engineers – more than 6000 associates in the US and EU – who have development experience and expertise in specific sets of leading-edge, business-critical applications.

We are known for our ability to challenge the status quo and work collaboratively with our clients to drive innovation. We go above and beyond to ensure that we are not just a service provider, but an extension of your technical department and partner in creating new solutions to help you stay ahead of the competition.

Recently, we utilized our expertise in AI to assist one of our clients with modernizing their legacy applications project. By leveraging AI to review code, identify patterns, and improve communication, we were able to significantly reduce their time-to-market and improve the overall quality of their code. This is just one example of our pioneering efforts in AI, which are constantly evolving through close collaboration with our partners and industry experts like Jakub.

We are always eager to meet new clients and discover new opportunities. If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you, please reach out to us through our contact form.