It’s hard to believe it has been almost 18 months since we first shared our blog post ‘Why do we need developers when we’ve got Chat GPT?’. Back in January 2023, we were just beginning to explore how AI could transform our workflow. As we approach the middle of 2024, it's clear that AI has taken root in our daily work lives.

At first, our developers experienced a mix of awe and apprehension as they tested AI-generated code that worked right out of the box. The initial reaction was a nervous joke around the office, "Am I out of a job?" However, as we've integrated AI a little more  into our processes, we've realised it's less about replacing jobs and more about augmenting our capabilities.

AI has truly lived up to the promise of working smarter, not harder. By automating mundane and repetitive tasks, it has freed our team to focus on creativity and innovation—areas where human ingenuity still reigns supreme. Here’s how we've integrated AI into our daily work lives at HutSix:

Automated Testing: AI helps us swiftly analyse numerous solutions to technical problems, ensuring both speed and accuracy that far surpasses manual efforts.

Enhanced Debugging: With AI-powered tools, identifying and resolving bugs has become faster, which means more time is dedicated to developing new features and refining our software.

Creative Assistance: From writing code to crafting project proposals, AI's ability to generate initial drafts saves time, allowing our team to polish and perfect the final outputs.

This transformation hasn't been without its challenges, but the benefits have been significant. As Ross puts it, “I use AI on the daily to get code snippets.  It can't write full code, but I can ask ChatGPT how to do something specifically and it is usually pretty good at giving me the right answer - or getting me on track to the right answer.  Before ChatGPT, you'd have to Google it, read through tons of stack overflow replies, etc. Now it's quick and easy.”

Allen, our new kid on the blog, shares his pros and cons: "I use AI for debugging by asking it to diagnose errors and suggest fixes, though I double-check these solutions on Google if needed. I also employ AI to generate and select code comments, and to create straightforward scripts, such as the corresponding 'down' function in migration scripts. However, for complex queries like AWS Solution Architect questions, AI can be unreliable; it sometimes requires further verification through Google or official documentation.”

Stewart shared, “I often use it for mundane tasks, 'strip the HTML tags from this string and give me the text', 'convert this list into JSON', function and variable name suggestions etc. The most important thing is to be kind, always remember your 'please' and 'thank you's. Skynet could be right around the corner, and best to be seen as a friend.”

And Jyah, who is on the non-technical side of our team says “I use it for report writing, email structure, tender submissions and abstract queries.  Unlike Stewart I'm not overly polite, but I do ask for responses to be less American and wanky and more human.  I have also had fun asking for responses when building procedural documentation to add a bit of a tech, geek, flair with a bit of mystic and magic.  Really your only limit is your imagination and who you are providing the response to.”

Looking ahead, the landscape of software development and creative processes is set to evolve continually. With each AI improvement, we anticipate new ways to enhance productivity and creativity. The journey with AI is just beginning, and we’re excited about the prospects it holds not only for our current projects but for future innovations as well.

In summary, AI hasn't replaced anyone; it has empowered us. It’s allowed us to deliver higher quality software and more creative solutions faster and with less effort. Embracing AI at HutSix has been a journey of growth, learning, and, most importantly, leveraging new technologies to better meet the needs of those we serve. We look forward to continuing this journey, exploring new possibilities, and leading the charge in the integration of AI in our industry.