Play it Again Sam! or How I Learned to Love Large Language Models

In our work as advisors in software and AI engineering, we are often asked about the efficacy of  large language model (LLM) tools like Copilot, GhostWriter, or Tabnine. Recent innovation in  the building and curation of LLMs demonstrates powerful tools for the manipulation of text. By  finding patterns in large bodies of text, these models can predict the next word to write  sentences and paragraphs of coherent content. The concern surrounding these tools is strong – from New York schools banning the use of ChatGPT to Stack Overflow and Reddit banning  answers and art generated from LLMs. While many applications are strictly limited to writing text, a few applications explore the patterns to work on code, as well. The hype surrounding these applications ranges from adoration (“I’ve rebuilt my workflow around these tools”) to  fear, uncertainty, and doubt (“LLMs are going to take my job”). In the Communications of the  ACM, Matt Welsh goes so far as to declare we’ve reached “The End of Programming.” While  integrated development environments have had code generation and automation tools for  years, in this post I will explore what new advancements in AI and LLMs mean for software  development.