Attention continues to shift toward implementation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI). The potential for this technology is now clear, but how best to utilize its transformative possibilities remains a topic of hot debate in our sector.
At Amadeus, we have been developing our capabilities in this area, ready to take advantage of this rapidly developing technology, in whichever direction it matures. Having created a best-in-class development environment for our engineers, and equipping them with the right tools, Generative AI is an opportunity to expand this even further and continue to develop the solutions our partners rely on every day.
One area of emerging significance is assisted programming, tools designed to help developers write code more efficiently.
They are transforming the way solutions are created, allowing developers to edit, debug, and optimize, quickly and effectively. They leverage various techniques, including static analysis, code suggestion, code completion, and performance profiling, as they assist programmers.
At the same time, Generative AI will help Amadeus’ developers document code and improve the way they test, suggesting test cases covering more code and thus improving the overall quality.
Here we dive into this topic more – exploring some of these tools and looking at what they mean for developers.
A new way of working
Generative AI will profoundly change the way we develop, evolve and manage our solutions. This is not an iterative change in how we develop software, but a fundamentally new way of working, akin to the arrival of the internet. For this reason, Amadeus has chosen to evaluate many available assisted programming solutions to deliver a better working environment for our engineers.
We are experimenting with some programming solutions, including Amazon CodeWhisperer, Mistral AI and more. The process is designed to make sure we can capture the opportunities of Generative AI while mitigating any associated risks.
In this way, we can create better solutions for our customers and, importantly, the traveler. We are continually investing in new tech capabilities, making sure the latest and most efficient tools are integrated into our processes.
Advantages for our teams
Assisted programming solutions have the potential to help our engineers during each of the steps of the software development lifecycle. When successfully deployed, they can help create code more rapidly, potentially leading to faster delivery for customers. They could also lead or support the creation of new features, automatically proposed by an algorithm, while also generating the required code.
At the same time, these tools allow us to test our technology more widely, automatically driving the reliability of our products. By debugging in this way, we can identify the origin of problems and work toward resolving them.
Excitingly, assistants can help complete code through natural language, with developers typing prompts and seeing coding suggestions based on the context, style and conventions of the project. This has the potential to change in the day-to-day work of our engineers, leaving them free to focus on clarifying customer needs and reviewing proposals from Generative AI.
Finally, assistants can help with the creation of documentation, providing comments, for example, to explain what the code is doing to ease future evolution and maintenance. These tools are designed to free time to investigate other, more ambitious projects, meaning more opportunity for creativity from our engineering community.
How is Amadeus deploying these tools?
To foster these benefits, we are ensuring Generative AI is available across Amadeus. Our ‘AI for engineering’ initiative within our Generative AI Center of Excellence, for example, seeks to identify optimizations that can be made to training, processes, tools, and day-to-day behaviors, increasing our individual and collective efficiency. Whether using Generative AI to automate lower value tasks, or just running better meetings, the goal of the program is to optimize existing resources in search of growth and innovation, while maintaining our competitive advantage.
Generative AI can also assist with code refactoring, the process of restructuring existing computer code without changing its external behavior. This is intended to improve the design, structure, and implementation of our existing software, while preserving its functionality.
Amadeus also hosts events such as hackathons and workshops, which can help us anticipate problems ahead of time through Generative AI code analysis and even make the onboarding process for new talent more effective.
What does this mean for travelers?
Generative AI will allow Amadeus to take on some of the challenges facing our industry in new ways, creating the solutions our partners need to meet the changing expectations of travelers. Assisted programming will be part of this process, helping us to maintain our place at the forefront of the travel industry and offering our developers the modern, efficient tools they need to excel.
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