Google's Finally Catching Up On The Coding Front...
Google just announced their 2 main AI coding tools, here's a full breakdown of both of them
Introduction
In a groundbreaking move at its annual I/O developer conference, Google introduced two AI-centric coding tools, Codey and Studio Bot, poised to reshape the landscape for developers across the world. These tools are designed not just to generate and complete code, but to offer an interactive, conversational experience for developers, aiming to assist them in resolving queries and doubts, and improving their code. The tools are part of Google's ambitious vision to put AI at the center of the cloud experience and make it more human-centric, goal-oriented, and holistic.
Google Codey: A Specialized AI Model for Code Generation
Codey, a generative AI model, has been revealed as the powerhouse behind these new coding tools. Built on Google's PaLM 2 large language model, Codey has been designed specifically to handle coding-related prompts and queries about Google Cloud services, under the umbrella of Google's Duet AI branding.
Developers can access Codey, currently in "Preview" on Google Cloud, through extensions for Visual Studio Code, JetBrains IDEs, the Google Shell Editor, and Google’s cloud-hosted Workstations service. It supports Go, Java, JavaScript, Python, and SQL, making it a versatile tool for a wide range of developers.
Codey has been trained on a large corpus of permissively licensed open-source code, internal Google code, all of the company’s code samples, and its reference applications. Richard Seroter, from Google Cloud, explained the extensive training process, highlighting that a large team had fine-tuned Codey using a knowledge graph of everything Google Cloud produces, ensuring that the model is constantly updated and improved.
Studio Bot: An AI Assistant for Android Developers
On the other side of the aisle, Google also announced Studio Bot, an AI assistant specifically designed for Android developers to help write and debug code. Available only to US developers for the moment, Studio Bot is integrated within Android Studio, Google's official integrated development environment (IDE) for Android developers.
Studio Bot functions as a "conversational experience," interacting with developers akin to Bard or ChatGPT. Developers can engage with Studio Bot to ask questions and clarify doubts without needing to provide any of their code, making it particularly suited for answering general API questions.
Studio Bot differs from other tools in that it operates in a conversational manner. Developers can ask it questions and engage in a dialogue about their code, akin to having an advisor at their disposal. This feature is a big step toward creating a more interactive coding environment.
A promotional video announcing Studio Bot depicted a developer asking questions like "What is dark theme?" and subsequently getting code snippets for implementing dark themes in their app. This suggests that even with relatively simple queries, Studio Bot can provide tangible, useful help to developers.
However, Google has cautioned that Studio Bot, being in its early experimental phase, might occasionally provide inaccurate, misleading, or false information, and developers should be prepared for potential hiccups.
Google’s Vision for AI in Developer Experience
Google's announcement of Codey and Studio Bot is not just about creating more efficient coding tools; it's also about envisioning a future where developers can manage all their services on Google Cloud using chatbot technology.
In the words of Seroter, Google's aim is to change the way developers interact with the cloud platform, making it more human-centric, goal-oriented, and holistic. The ultimate goal is to free developers from the routine work that comes with testing and deploying applications, enabling them to focus more on creative tasks.
While only a small set of trusted testers currently have access to these tools, a wider release is anticipated soon. These cutting-edge tools signify Google’s commitment to creating a more integrated, interactive, and developer-friendly cloud experience, truly embodying the promise of AI in the realm of programming and development.
The Promise of Duet AI and Google's Codey
Codey is not just another AI tool; it's the foundational element of Google's Duet AI branding, which promises to revolutionize the way developers interact with code. Duet AI for Google Cloud, announced alongside Codey, is said to act as an "AI expert pair programmer," capable of being trained on your code and style.
This is a significant advancement as it suggests AI models are now capable of learning and understanding individual coding styles, thereby providing more personalized assistance. Similar to GitHub's Copilot and Amazon's CodeWhisperer, Duet AI can assist in code review and inspection, in addition to function generation and autocomplete.
Google's Commitment to Developer-Friendly AI Tools
Despite being in the early stages, these AI tools—Codey and Studio Bot—represent Google's commitment to creating an ecosystem that puts developers first. They are designed to make the developer experience more interactive and efficient, freeing them up from routine tasks, and allowing more time for creative problem-solving.
Google's Seroter asserts that we've been using "20th-century interfaces on 21st-century platforms." He emphasizes that it's time for a change. The introduction of Codey and Studio Bot is a clear sign that Google is making strides towards this transformation.
It's important to note, however, that these tools are in their early stages. Google has cautioned that they might occasionally provide inaccurate or incomplete information. Nonetheless, they represent a promising glimpse into the future of AI-assisted development.
As the world of development becomes more complex, tools like Codey and Studio Bot have the potential to become indispensable allies for developers, providing assistance and advice at the touch of a button. With these innovative tools, Google is paving the way for a new era of AI-powered development, redefining the limits of what AI can do in the world of coding.
Stay tuned for Google's Cloud Next event in late August, where we can anticipate hearing more about these exciting advancements in AI-assisted coding tools.