How code copilots and open source will shape the future of software development
The world of software development is rapidly evolving, with new tools and technologies constantly reshaping the landscape. Recently, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel of experts, including Scott Chacon (co-founder of GitHub), Malte Pietsch (CTO and co-founder of DeepSet), Nikhil Dinesh from AWS, Jonathan Reimer (CEO and co-founder of crowd.dev) and Jan Oberhauser (CEO and co-founder of n8n.io), discussing the current and future trends in software development gen AI tools and open source.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Open source and Copilot led to substantial productivity gains in software development
- The bar for innovation is now set higher
- Developing something truly unique still requires human ingenuity
- Distributing open source relies on reaching enough developers; not all attention is stolen from gen AI projects
- AI tools are becoming an integral part of software development, but gen AI won’t kick developers out of the market for the foreseeable future
Read on to explore these insights and dive deeper into the implications for the software development community.
🔓🔓🔓 Democratizing software development through open source and code Copilot
One of the fundamental discussion points during the panel was the role of open source ready-to-use libraries and gen AI tools for software development. The consensus was that open source has revolutionized the field by making it easier for more people to build products. With open-source projects readily available and code-generative AI tools, executing ideas has become more accessible than ever. This has led to substantial benefits in development, such as accelerated prototyping and reduced costs per line of code.
“You’re always going to be standing on someone’s shoulders — and these shoulders are going higher — but everyone is standing on the same shoulders.”
However, as Scott pointed out, the bar for innovation is rising. The availability of better technology and open-source resources means everyone is on the same shoulders. The question arises: Will future software products be truly differentiated when software development becomes so accessible?
👓👓👓 The differentiator: vision, not tools
The panelists emphasized that what truly matters now, more than ever, is what you want to build and your end goal, rather than how to build it. There are plenty of tools at your disposal, but the differentiator lies in the creative direction provided by the leading thinker, not the AI. Artificial intelligence, though powerful, cannot provide truly unique proposals, as it’s essentially an average of existing inputs.
In particular, Malte and Scott highlighted the importance of raising the bar for quality. While AI can assist in many aspects of development, doing something truly remarkable still requires human ingenuity. Open source can raise the starting bar, but it’s the vision and execution that genuinely distinguish a product.
📦📦📦 Distribution in an expanding open-source universe
As the number of open-source projects continues to grow, and gen AI tools are stealing so much eyeball attention, some questions were raised about whether it will become more challenging to gain traction in the community. The panelists agreed that it’s still possible to attract enough people to contribute and support open-source projects, especially when the project aligns with a clear vision and purpose. After all, the number of developers is still increasing each month, and this per se increases the demand for open-source projects on average.
👩💻👩💻👩💻 A new role for software developers
The discussion also touched upon the evolving roles of software engineers. Junior developers are becoming more inclined to use AI tools like Copilot in their work, embracing the latest technologies with enthusiasm. Senior software engineers, on the other hand, also employ these tools but may do so with a more formalized process. They may soon take on the responsibility of reviewing AI-generated code before it goes live as the final instance. The key takeaway is that AI tools are becoming an integral part of software development, regardless of experience level. Also, no one in the panel believes gen AI will drive software developers out of the market for the foreseeable future.
🔮🔮🔮 The future of AI tools
The audience had questions about the future of AI tools and whether they might become less accessible as large corporations acquire Large Language Models (LLMs) and start licensing premium versions. Scott had an interesting perspective, suggesting that smaller, specific models processed faster and more locally; even on-edge devices could become the focus of innovation. Malte saw a middle ground, suggesting that slightly smaller models, such as Mistral, could work just as effectively, making LLM creation more accessible. Nikhil envisioned future models being much smaller, hinting at a trend towards compact, efficient AI solutions.
🧠🧠🧠 Consequences of greater AI access
The panel also discussed the consequences of greater AI access. While AI is advancing, it’s still not on par with humans in terms of contextual understanding. Nonetheless, AI can automate tasks that humans might find repetitive or less desirable. This opens up the possibility for less intermediation in information sharing, getting closer to the source. However, there is also the risk of AI overloading us with harmful or fake content.
In conclusion, the future of software development is bright and brimming with opportunities. Open source, AI tools, and a community of developers are transforming the field, making it more accessible and efficient. But the key to success lies not so much in the tools, which actually level the playing field, but in the vision and creativity of those who use them. As technology evolves, so do the roles of software engineers, with a focus on evolving and disrupting.
As a final note, if you are an open-source founder looking to raise your first institutional check, drop me a note at federico@squareone.vc; I would love to chat. Also, if you are a open source founder/angel/C-level and were not invited to this event, please let me know and I will put on the list for the next one!
