Achieving Productivity Gains with AI-based IDE features: A Journey at Google

TL;DR

This paper details Google's development of AI-powered IDE features like code completion and natural-language code transformation, highlighting challenges, solutions, and productivity improvements in enterprise software development.

Contribution

It introduces novel AI-based IDE features and demonstrates effective strategies for integrating and refining these tools to enhance developer productivity.

Findings

Improved code suggestion accuracy and latency

Enhanced user experience with AI-driven code transformations

Quantifiable productivity gains in enterprise environments

Abstract

We discuss Google's journey in developing and refining two internal AI-based IDE features: code completion and natural-language-driven code transformation (Transform Code). We address challenges in latency, user experience and suggestion quality, all backed by rigorous experimentation. The article serves as an example of how to refine AI developer tools across the user interface, backend, and model layers, to deliver tangible productivity improvements in an enterprise setting.