AI Is Changing How Software Gets Built: What It Means For You

AI is increasingly playing a big role in how the software we all use, from our banking apps to our favourite streaming services, gets made. You might have heard about AI helping coders write faster, but according to a new report from Forrester, it's now doing much more. It's actually involved from the very start – in planning, building, testing, and even delivering new software.

Think of it like this: instead of just a digital assistant suggesting words as you type an email, these new AI tools are more like a project manager. They can understand what a software program needs to do, then break down the tasks, and even write parts of the code themselves. This is all thanks to something called 'agentic software development', where AI agents – software that completes tasks on its own – work together to handle complex jobs.

For businesses, this could mean custom software or apps get developed much quicker and potentially with fewer hiccups. It also means the technology underpinning our everyday lives might become more robust and reliable. While it sounds very technical, the outcome is simpler for us: better, more cutting-edge digital tools and experiences.

It’s a big shift from just a few years ago. This doesn’t mean humans are out of the loop; software developers will likely focus more on guiding these AI agents and ensuring quality, rather than doing all the grunt work. It’s about leveraging AI to build a better digital future faster, impacting everything from your favourite small business’s online store to government services.