AI can help spot coding mistakes before they happen

Game developer Ubisoft has trained an AI to alert coders before they build software that contains bugs.

What it is: Wired UK reports that the AI, called Commit Assistant, is trained on a database of Ubisoft code—and associated bug fixes—stretching back a decade.

How it works: It spots when a developer is writing code similar to script that was once edited to fix bugs. Then it flags the possibility of a mistake to the programmer.

Why it matters: Finding and fixing bugs is time- and labor-intensive. Ubisoft says it soaks up 70 percent of development budget for a game. AI could slash those costs.

But: Getting coders may worry AI could write code, not just bug-check it, and getting them to use it may be hard. Ubisoft says it wants staff to think of the AI as a tool to help speed up work, not make them redundant.