Leveraging LLMs for Coding: Benefits, Risks, and Best Practices

Using LLMs (ChatGPT) to aid in programming.

The code generated by large language models (such as ChatGPT) is generally good but not infallible.

With the recent launch of Microsoft’s Copilot for mobile devices, more and more people now have access to powerful models like GPT-4, completely free of charge.

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are incredibly useful for various tasks, especially in programming. These tools can generate code based on a simple idea, which usually works well. They are also exceptional at helping with debugging your code if you provide them with the error message. This means these tools are great for teaching you new things, so make sure to take advantage of them.

However, it’s important to note that these models can sometimes produce code that appears correct but doesn’t actually work (hallucination). Therefore, it’s always a good practice to double-check and fully understand the generated code before implementing it.

Last but not least, be careful with the data you put in these apps since it might inadvertently leak information.

By the way, are you currently using any generative AI tools? If so, which ones?

1. ChatGPT
2. Microsoft Copilot
3. Midjourney
4. Other

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