Baidu Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Chinese tech giant Baidu, has launched a new AI-powered coding assistant called Comate. The tool is based on Baidu’s natural language understanding model ERNIE, which can generate code predictions based on previous codes, with single and multi-line suggestions. It can also translate natural language into programming languages, making it easier for developers to express their intentions and write code faster.
Comate is compatible with mainstream Integrated Development Environment (IDE) frameworks and supports more than 30 programming languages, with a strong emphasis on C/C++, Python, and Java. The tool can help developers improve their coding efficiency and quality, as well as reduce errors and bugs. According to Baidu, during trials, developers successfully implemented 30% to 50% of the AI-generated code. Comate is now open to users worldwide for beta-testing.
AI code assistants are a new breed of AI-powered tools helping developers write code faster and more safely. They use deep learning models trained on billions of lines of code to generate code suggestions that match the developer’s intent and style. They can also help developers learn new languages or frameworks, or tackle unfamiliar problems without spending too much time on documentation or web searches.
However, AI code assistants are not perfect and cannot replace human developers. They still require human supervision and verification, and may sometimes produce incorrect or insecure code. Developers should always review the suggested code and use their own judgment before implementing it.
Big Tech Competing With AI Coding Solutions
Big tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are providing cutting-edge AI-powered tools that can create and fix code. Here are some of the recent developments in this field:
- GitHub Copilot is a joint project between Microsoft and OpenAI that uses GPT-4 to generate code suggestions based on users’ inputs. GitHub Copilot is powered by OpenAI Codex, a generative pre-trained language model created by OpenAI. The tool can also create whole functions and learn from comments and code context. Earlier this year, GitHub showed its future vision with GitHub Copilot X, which integrates with OpenAI’s GPT-4.
- Builder.ai is an AI software firm that got an equity investment from Microsoft. The deal lets users access Builder.ai’s Natasha AI product manager through Microsoft Teams. Builder.ai and GitHub Copilot are two different types of AI-powered tools for software development. Builder.ai is a no-code platform that lets users make apps by picking from various templates and features, without writing any code. The service is ideal for non-technical users who want to make simple or standard apps.
- Google teamed up with Replit to offer Ghostwriter, an AI tool that helps developers write code. The partnership also gives Replit developers access to Google Cloud and vice versa. Moreover, Google brought code generation and debugging to its Bard AI chatbot. Users can write their coding questions or requests in natural language, and Bard will generate multiple drafts of possible responses for them to pick from. Users can also ask follow-up questions or have Bard try again if they are not happy with the results.
- Amazon launched CodeWhisperer, a free AI tool that competes with GitHub Copilot. It works with Python, JavaScript, and Java languages and integrates with popular IDEs like PyCharm and Visual Studio Code. It helps users write code faster and easier. CodeWhisperer is integrated with AWS services and tools, such as Lambda, CloudFormation, and Amplify.
- In May, Meta introduced CodeCompose.
The AI-powered tool is intended to offer code suggestions for various languages including Python, as developers type in Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like VS Code. The tool can utilize its understanding of the surrounding code to provide enhanced suggestions.
