Industrial Experience Report on AI-Assisted Coding in Professional Software Development

Rudolf Ramler, Michael Moser, Lukas Fischer, Markus Nissl, René Heinzl

Abstract: AI-based tools for software development are widely discussed in academic literature. They promise to boost software development performance, especially in code creation. This paper collects insights from practitioners about the use and implications of AI assistance in industrial software development, with a focus on SMEs. Through interviews with five developers from three software development organization, we gathered and analyzed the experiences made in industrial practice, and we identified lessons learned and open challenges. ChatGPT and Copilot are used in industry projects. While they are considered useful for many code-related development activities, their integration in the development workflow remains mostly shallow. Contradicting observations about speed-ups due to AI support in development are reported. Legal issues are of minor concern although awareness exists.