HockeyStick #6 - AI-powered Developer

HockeyStick Show

Generative AI in Software Development: A Future Without Coders?

In this episode of HockeyStick, Miko Pawlikowski interviews Nathan B. Crocker, CTO at Checkr and author of 'AI-Powered Developer,' exploring the impact of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot on software development. They discuss the book's insights into using AI as a junior developer, its appeal to different levels of software practitioners, and experiences with generative AI for coding tasks. The conversation covers AI's role in designing, testing, refactoring, and understanding code, addressing job security concerns for software engineers. They also tackle the effectiveness of local LLMs versus online models, the evolving landscape of AI in coding, and future directions for developers using AI tools.

00:00 Welcome to HockeyStick: Exploring Generative AI for Code

00:23 Diving Into AI-Powered Development with Nathan B. Crocker

00:44 The Practical Guide to AI in Coding: Insights and Experiences

02:47 The Revolutionary Impact of AI on Software Development

04:46 ChatGPT: A New Era of Coding Assistance

08:57 The Magic of Copilot in Your IDE

10:40 Navigating the Challenges of Custom Code with AI Tools

14:46 Designing Software with AI: Beyond Just Code

17:45 Refactoring and Upgrading with AI: A New Frontier

20:27 The Quirks of AI: From Training Data to Practical Use

23:34 Exploring the Limits of AI in Software Testing

24:01 Exploring AI in Testing and Development

24:25 Harnessing AI for Software Testing

25:08 AI's Role in Code Depreciation and Asset Management

25:59 Understanding and Describing Code with AI

28:47 Security Insights and Ethical Considerations in AI

32:05 AI in Infrastructure and Deployment

37:36 Evaluating Local LLMs and Their Capabilities

42:18 The Future of Coding and AI: Predictions and Perspectives

44:01 Closing Thoughts and Next Steps for the Author