The Evolution and Challenges of AI: A Developer’s Perspective
February 27, 2025
Blog Post
February 27, 2025
Blog Post
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Regardless of the public’s opinion on the matter, be it positive or negative, there is little doubt that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been one of the most transformative technological advancements of the modern era. Its rapid evolution has sparked conversations across industries, from automation to ethical considerations. At the heart of this revolution are Large Language Models (LLMs), which have gained significant traction in recent years. While their capabilities continue to expand, so do the challenges associated with their use.
AI has been particularly significant in the field of technology, where it has revolutionised everything from software development to data processing and decision-making. Understanding how and why developers use AI is crucial to assessing both its benefits and limitations. Whether it’s assisting in code generation, automating repetitive tasks, or improving debugging processes, AI has become an indispensable tool for many in the tech industry.
For Cleverbit, this is a crucial topic. For years, we’ve been dedicated to finding the most effective solutions to add value for our clients, and AI plays a key role in that mission. Efficiency is our North Star, guiding not just our client solutions but also our internal processes and development workflows. That’s why we set out to explore how our own developers perceive the benefits and challenges of AI.
The AI revolution did not start with ChatGPT’s viral moment. LLMs like GPT had been in development for years before they reached today’s widespread adoption. While the idea of an AI assistant that could seemingly “know it all” had been envisioned long before, it was Google that pioneered the concept of a ubiquitous AI-powered assistant. However, OpenAI took this vision further by implementing an intuitive interface to GPT, positioning it as an accessible and practical tool for everyday use.
This pattern - attention, funding, advancements, repeat – is what’s driven the rapid evolution of AI. Each technological leap captures public and corporate interest, leading to further investment and subsequent improvements.
However, with the exponential growth of their capabilities, the conversation around AI has slowly shifted from “can we build this?” to “how do we use it responsibly?”.
One of the main criticisms aimed at LLMs like ChatGPT is that, at its core, they’re essentially a prediction engine. And yes, that is true. Given a sequence of words, LLMs predict the next most probable word based on the context provided. However, while this may seem like a simple process, LLMs are remarkably effective at producing coherent and contextually relevant text.
The evolution of these models from simple text prediction engines to sophisticated processing systems has enabled them to generate human-like responses, summarise vast amounts of information, and assist in complex tasks like programming and content creation.
However, condensing such a vast and complex problem (understanding and generating human language) into a predictive framework comes with inherent issues. One of the most discussed challenges is hallucinations - instances where the model confidently generates incorrect or misleading information.
For users unfamiliar with AI’s limitations, these hallucinations can lead to misinformation and flawed decision-making.
One notable case involved Air Canada’s AI chatbot, which misled a customer into purchasing a full-price ticket under the false impression that he could retroactively apply for a bereavement fare. Remarkably, the airline argued that the AI was “responsible for its own actions” and, therefore, they were not liable for compensation. However, the legal system ultimately ruled against Air Canada, setting a significant precedent for the risks associated with AI-generated misinformation.
Ultimately, while AI can augment human capabilities, it is not a replacement for human skill. The concept of human-in-the-loop AI ensures that AI remains a tool rather than an unchecked authority.
Humans alone can achieve a baseline of 100% accuracy in tasks they are skilled at. Conversely, AI, on its own, operates at a fraction of that percentage. However, when used together, the sum is greater than its parts. Instead of replacing developers, AI serves as an enhancement, freeing them to focus on higher-value tasks.
We wanted to understand how our developers perceive and utilise AI in their daily work. We conducted an internal survey in line with the Stack Overflow 2024 AI survey so we could compare industry-wide trends with our internal adoption rates.
Overall, we found that our developers show:
In fact, using AI has become a critical part of our development process. Our developers are using AI mainly to assist with writing code and to search for answers, which is very much in line with the Stack Overflow survey. A significant percentage is also using it to document their code, as well as generating content or synthetic data.
AI is reshaping how we work and interact with technology. While it brings incredible opportunities for efficiency and automation, it also comes with challenges that require human supervision.
At Cleverbit, we believe that responsible AI adoption - with clear policies, training, and human validation - is key to harnessing its full potential. As AI continues to develop, our focus remains on using it as an enhancer, not a replacement, ensuring that it serves as a valuable tool in our pursuit of building innovative and effective software solutions.
Headquartered in Europe, Cleverbit Software is a prominent custom software development company, employing over 70 skilled professionals across the EU, UK and US. Specialising in custom software for business efficiency, we work with a diverse international clientele in various industries including banking and insurance, SaaS, and healthcare. Our commitment to solving problems and delivering solutions that work makes us a trusted partner with our clients.
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