Chat GPT-assisted coding. Is it the next frontier in software development?

There’s lots of discussion around Chat GPT today; with a stellar ability to answer complex questions, it has proven to be a handy tool in a number of creative tasks, such as songwriting, poem writing, emails, content, and more. Is Chat GPT code writing equally useful, and how to get chat GPT to write code? We’ll answer these and many other questions in the blog post below, so tune in!

What is Chat GPT, and why is it so popular today?

Chat GPT, short for the chat-based generative pre-trained transformer, is a language model functioning based on GPT-3.5 architecture. It was created by OpenAI and, within about 4 months, hyped the AI industry and grabbed the attention of the broader public. Just a few weeks ago, Open AI released GPT-4 large multimodal model, which besides answering text inputs, is also responsive to image inputs and is more reliable. The chatbot is designed to understand natural human language input and respond to them in a conversational manner.

Chat GPT is different from the other waves of natural language processing (NLP) technology as it can carry out a range of tasks and continually learn from its mistakes. Whether completing home assignments, creating content, or writing code, Chat GPT can be your daily friend. It can also be used in combination with other programming technologies to speed up the coding process.

How to use Chat GPT to write code?

Thanks to its mind-blowing math skills, Chat GPT can surely help developers both with simple and complex code. Through supervised learning, Chat GPT has been trained on a large amount of data to write in programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, and HTML. It works based on large training data that include programming language documentation and code repositories. With its prior examples of actual codes or best practices, it can become an inseparable part of developers’ working day. 

• Chat GPT can generate code snippets or complete code fragments if it receives clear instructions. These instructions can take a variety of forms, such as a description of the functionality that the code should provide or a specific coding task that must be done.

• It can help with debugging by analyzing code issues and offering practical solutions.

• For better results, it’s important to clearly describe the problem to the chatbot so it can find out the cause and help you fix bugs.

• It helps in code refactoring, which includes modifying code without altering its original external behavior. By offering alternative algorithms and data structures, your code can become more readable and maintainable.

• Chat GPT may help with code documentation, which includes writing and maintaining software code documentation. It is critical because it ensures that your code is comprehensible and manageable for other developers.

Benefits of Chat GPT-assisted coding 

Chat GPT is a powerful tool for developers and has the potential to revolutionize how they work and create code. What could be more promising than a tool that keeps consumers, employees, and company owners happy?

Increased productivity and efficiency

The chatbot can be used to speed up the process of code generation and completion, leading programmers to be more productive in a shorter period of time. For example, you can draw your outline on paper, and the newly released GPT-4 can visually analyze and turn it into an actual programming code.

Improved quality 

By detecting code bugs and suggesting solutions, programmers will have a low chance of mistakes and errors. Future users can enjoy the outcomes of the high-quality code thanks to the improvements made by Chat GPT.

Decreased manual work

Chat GPT can augment developers’ knowledge and skills by either automating various coding tasks or generating one, giving them a chance to spend time on more important coding projects. For example, instead of spending hours, developers can use GPT-4 to produce functional code for developing a video game within a matter of minutes. 

Accessible coding

Chat GPT is one of a kind that can make coding easy and accessible for wider public use. Even those who are new in the sphere and have minimum knowledge of coding can make use of it because of its simple functionality.

Challenges and limitations in Chat GPT for coding  

Having an intelligent chatbot write code for you sounds exciting, right? But what about the waves of hype that are followed by still-existing limitations and challenges? Well, there are a few important drawbacks both for GPT-3 and GPT-4 that should be addressed with a critical mind.

Limited and biased data

Chat GPT was trained on a limited data set and cannot always understand complex programming concepts and offer up-to-date suggestions or present-day best practices. Its suggestions and solutions should not be taken for granted as they may be inappropriately compared to what your company needs and looks for. Besides, it’s important to realize that if Chat GPT’s training data is biased in any way, the generated code may also be biased.

Privacy concerns and data breaches

If adequate security measures are not taken, there is always a risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to important code. Sharing your code and other data with external parties is also a scary possibility with Chat GPT.

Over-reliance on technology

The benefits Chat GPT offers may become addictive, but too much reliance on it can decrease human creativity and critical thinking. If you only depend on the chatbot instead of practicing your skills and knowledge regularly, there is a chance you will limit your opportunities to constantly grow and learn.

Possible job displacement

The upcoming advancements of Chat GPT might possibly become a threat to human careers and professions. It’s important to regulate and control Chat GPT and other technologies in a way that will not entirely replace humans in the workplace.

Final thoughts

In short, Chat GPT is today’s most spoken chatbot all over the world that generates responses like a real human being in seconds. It can be helpful in various industries, including programming. Based on its trained data, it can either write or finish already existing code, discover bugs and offer solutions, and aid with code refactoring and documentation. Chat GPT-assisted coding provides advantages such as faster code development, higher quality, increased efficiency, and better time management. However, beyond the hype, there are potential limitations that may also hinder the process. Limitations exist in terms of inaccurate and inadequate data, significant privacy problems, over-reliance on technology, and job displacement.

While Chat GPT is a strong software development tool with the potential to transform the industry, it is not the next frontier in software development. Of course, it can become a game-changer for the industry as it's going to evolve and improve in the near future. A new level of advancement is expected in programming technology, but it should only be used to assist developers with tasks rather than replace their knowledge and experience. We believe that new revolutionary technology won't become a mainstream tool in software development because human intelligence is irreplaceable.