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The move represents the first instance of BT using generative AI (GenAI) tools to enhance product development
Today, BT’s Digital Unit has announced that it will us Amazon Web Services (AWS)’s GenAI coding companion Amazon CodeWhisperer to help their software engineers code effectively.
Amazon CodeWhisperer works something akin to autocorrect on a mobile phone, with the AI assessing the piece of code being written in real time and suggesting additional code suited to the programme.
These capabilities span from snippets to full functions in multiple integrated development environments (IDEs) based on natural-language comments and existing code, across 15 coding languages.
The solution also filters out unreliable code and can flag its suggestions if they resemble open-source training data, all the while scanning for vulnerabilities within the code that can be corrected.
According to BT, the code is currently providing 15–20 suggestions of code per user per day, with software engineers accepting these suggestions 37% of the time. This, says BT, has led to the automation of around 12% of “tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming” coding work done by an initial group of volunteers.
“The adoption of generative AI solutions on this scale is not just a major milestone for BT Group, but for industry as a whole. It will equip our colleagues for a world of work that is transforming overnight, in turn delivering solutions for our customers quicker than ever before. Implementing coding assistance is step one in a wider enablement move for our digital colleagues in AI-supported product lifecycle management.”
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