DevBoss: Exploring the Future of Dev Tooling with AI
We’re back with a recap of our second DevBoss event this year, where we delved into the exciting world of AI and its impact on the future of software development. Held at the vibrant Headrow House in Leeds, the event brought together a passionate bunch of developers eager to explore the latest trends and insights in AI.
Our esteemed speaker, Richard McIntyre, Chief Engineer at BJSS and the recently crowned ‘Tech Leader of the Year,’ took the stage to share his expertise and experiences in the ever-evolving landscape of AI. The room was buzzing with excitement as developers packed in to learn from one of the most respected minds in the industry.
AI Tools: revolutionising the Developer experience
The heart of the evening was Richard’s engaging presentation, which went beyond theory and into the practical world of AI tools. He showcased the capabilities of GitHub Copilot, a tool that’s generating quite a stir in the developer community.
Richard acknowledged the changing landscape of software development, highlighting the introduction of low-code tools and now the integration of AI technologies. He emphasised the significance of GitHub Copilot, a tool that promises to streamline coding tasks.
GitHub Copilot: A glimpse into the future of coding
Richard delved into the features of GitHub Copilot, demonstrating its ability to generate code snippets and even entire functions based on natural language prompts. The audience was particularly impressed by the tool’s potential to improve developer efficiency.
Richard emphasised the importance of investing in developer tools to enhance productivity and highlighted the positive impact of AI on the overall developer experience. He showcased various aspects of GitHub Copilot, including code suggestions, documentation generation, and even the ability to write tests.
Richard’s live demonstrations showcased Copilot’s prowess, leaving no doubt about its ability to generate code snippets and complete functions based on natural language prompts. The presentation highlighted its potential to revolutionize coding tasks, particularly in the area of accessibility through voice-to-code functionality.
The ‘wild west’ of AI advancements
Richard acknowledged the rapid pace of AI advancements, referring to it as the ‘wild west’ of software development. With a touch of humour, he used the term ‘voodoo’ to describe the seemingly intuitive nature of these tools, almost as if they were reading the developer’s mind.
Balancing act: features and limitations of GitHub Copilot
Richard demonstrated how GitHub Copilot can assist in writing unit tests and generating test data, effectively reducing errors and enhancing the overall development process. The audience appreciated the potential for error reduction and debugging, recognising the significant investment pouring into the development of such powerful tooling.
AI-Powered code generation: the balancing act
Towards the end, Richard discussed the concept of writing code using AI models. He showcased how AI can be utilised to generate test scenarios, leveraging tools like Faker.js to create realistic test data. Richard emphasised the interactive nature of Copilot, which allows developers to engage with the tool and refine its suggestions. He encouraged developers to embrace these tools while remaining vigilant and actively participating in the code generation process. A huge thank you to everyone who attended, and especially Richard for one of the most lively and exciting presentations of the year!
Leeds tech events in 2024
Building on the success of our events this year, we’re excited to announce our commitment to hosting more community meet-ups in 2024. These gatherings will provide a platform for developers to connect, share experiences, and tackle the challenges of this fast-paced sector together.
If you’re looking for new opportunities in the dynamic field of software development or are passionate about sharing your insights with the community, we encourage you to reach out to a member of the Dev team at Corecom – Tom, Jamie, Lewis, Jack, Danny, Ikrah. We’re always looking to connect with talented developers and help them find the right roles.
What I wanted from this partnership was to be able to take a step back and free me up to focus on my other responsibilities in addition to recruitment. Working with Corecom alone made everything so straight forward. I wasn’t having to chase up several agencies and there was no duplication of candidates. Tunstall was their no1 focus and I trusted them to deliver, which they did. There was noticeable improvements in CV-to-interview and interview-to-placement ratios which was a real pain point before changing the model on how we worked together. Working on a retained basis gave me confidence that extra effort and resource would be put in to filling the roles.
