AI has gone a long way from science fiction and theories to implementations in many areas of everyday life. Such an illustrious evolution has become possible thanks to the efforts of both scientists and software engineers. However, the development of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning does not stop. AI technologies are gradually making their way to new areas of interest and finding new implementations in already established fields. Let’s see how AI and ML interact with their “hearth and home” – the field of software engineering.
Definition of AI and Its Various Applications in Software Development
Artificial Intelligence is one of the oldest concepts, originating from ancient times and myths. However, it was not until the 20th century when old ideas and crude prototypes got practical realization. Many prominent mathematicians, logicians, and computer scientists joined their efforts to define the concepts of “reasoning” and “learning” in the context of computers. The works of Alan Turing, Arthur Samuel, Tom M. Mitchell, and many others created the base for the progress of AI and ML technologies and computer algorithms and programming languages in general.
The generally recognized features that define AI are the ability to solve complex problems and the ability to generate information based on the source parameters. This way, researchers focus on the similarities between “human” thinking and “machine” thinking. Artificial Intelligence also should have the ability to learn, with human supervision or without it.
Thanks to the rapid progress of AI and ML technologies, they have been successfully integrated into many key areas of modern life. For example, the bond between AI and software development turned into two-way beneficial cooperation. This means that Artificial Intelligence has two major layers of interaction with software engineering.
- It is an immensely useful tool that helps developers with numerous tasks. An AI paired with great computational power and data storage capabilities easily outperforms human abilities.
- It is an object of software developers’ labor. Software engineers are often tasked to create an AI for specific purposes or to integrate an existing AI into a solution that is being developed.
Let’s take a look at both of these areas of interaction.
The Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Software Engineering
Software developers have mastered the art of training and customizing AI for various purposes. In general, state-of-the-art AI has unparalleled abilities for data mining, analysis, and classification. Those abilities also make Artificial Intelligence a great assistant capable of understanding requests and finding solutions. Here are a few examples of using AI technologies in software development:
