How AI drives software development

Column

Software Development

Innovation

Technology

May 19, 2025

How AI drives software development

Improper use of technology, without the due technical knowledge, can compromise the quality, security, and sustainability of the developed solutions

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become vital in the world of technology, and this also applies to those who create computer programs and applications. AI is no longer a passing fad but has consolidated itself as a force that enhances the development of software. Through advanced techniques such as machine learning (machine learning), natural language processing (NLP), and computer vision, AI expands the possibilities of innovation, optimizing everything from the conception stage to the maintenance and update phases.

This text explores how the strategic application of AI, made with knowledge grounded, can result in more modern, efficient software aligned with the needs of the contemporary market, which is constantly transforming. Also, the dangers associated with the inadequate use of this type of technology, without proper technical knowledge, will be addressed, as this can compromise the quality, security, and sustainability of the developed solutions.

One of the areas where AI can help the most is in the creation and automatic refinement of code. Programs that learn from many code examples can help developers write repetitive parts, get ideas on how to program better, and even find points where the program might be slow. AI-powered tools can analyze existing code and suggest changes to improve its performance, including security aspects. This frees developers from manual and repetitive work, allowing them to focus on the overall structure of the program.

Another important application of artificial intelligence is in the detection of failures and the automation of tests in software systems. Intelligent algorithms can identify recurring error patterns, allowing for the creation of more comprehensive and efficient tests, including finding problems that might go unnoticed in human-made tests. Furthermore, AI can analyze error logs to quickly detect the cause of issues, optimizing the debugging and failure correction process.

The first phase of software conception — understanding what the client wants and writing down what the program needs to do — can also be improved with AI. Natural language processing techniques can be used to analyze documents with client requests and find ambiguous, contradictory or incomplete passages, ensuring that the demand is clear to all parties involved. Artificial intelligence can also assist the development team in prioritizing activities, considering the potential benefits and risks associated with each initiative.

Furthermore, AI analyzes data from old projects to predict problems, such as delays or extra expenses, and more accurately estimate the time and effort required at each stage of the projects, making planning more assertive and optimizing resources.

Technique

Even with the great potential of artificial intelligence in optimizing software development, it is very important that the developer has experience in code production, as they will need in-depth knowledge to find specific solutions for certain problems or to understand, supervise, and adapt solutions created by AI. Therefore, developers and software engineers need to be able to:

  • Choosing the most appropriate AI tools and application methods: not all software problems are the same, nor do all AI tools help in the same way. Knowing which algorithm, which technique, or which tool to use at each moment is crucial for good results;
  • Prepare and analyze data to “teach” AI: the efficiency of the artificial intelligence tool depends on the quality and relevance of the data used in its training. Professionals with technical knowledge must be able to collect, process, organize, and adequately analyze this data, so that the AI learns correctly and can apply this knowledge in new contexts;
  • Understanding and verifying AI suggestions: AI tools provide various types of information, which must be critically checked according to the project’s objectives. It is necessary to understand how the software works to identify solutions that are effective and safe.
  • Include AI in development: the use of AI does not replace the work that the IT professional was already doing. It is essential that the developer knows how to integrate artificial intelligence tools into their current activities, ensuring efficient synergy with other existing processes and tools.
  • Monitor AI models: artificial intelligence tools can become outdated due to changes in data or demands. Therefore, it is important to constantly monitor their performance and make adjustments or new training when necessary.

Risks

If AI is used in software development by people without technical knowledge, it may harm the quality, security, and efficiency of managing any changes that may be necessary in the future.

AI tools that generate code without the supervision and review of experienced developers can cause the infiltration of errors security flaws into programs and result in code that does not work well or is susceptible to attacks, problems often difficult to trace.

Furthermore, if the development team does not fully understand code generated by artificial intelligence, they may have difficulty both in maintenance and in implementing changes and improvements to the system, increasing costs and development time.

Improvements in one part of the program have the potential to harm others, so if the development team does not understand all aspects and consequences of an improvement in the code suggested by the AI, performance problems and the system’s ability to handle many users in the future may arise, for example.

Regarding security, while AI helps in locating failures, it can cause the paralysis of other important practices. Furthermore, a poorly trained AI can generate code with new security flaws or ignore already established rules.

Finally, it is important to know that AI can contain biases if the data used to train it presents these biases. This can lead to unexpected or unfair behavior in the software. And, as some AI models function as “black boxes”, it can be difficult to understand the reasons for their decisions, which makes it difficult to correct possible biases.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that can change the way software is made, making work faster and programs better, while also facilitating the implementation of innovations. From helping to write and improve code to intelligently testing programs and understanding what customers need, AI has the potential to transform every step of development.

However, it is essential to remember that, to succeed, development teams need to have a lot of technical knowledge and experience. Using AI without care and experience can bring more problems than solutions, harming the quality, security, and adaptability of the software in the future.

Therefore, the best way to make the most of AI in software development is to combine machine intelligence with human knowledge and experience. Investing in the training and development of AI technical skills for IT professionals is fundamental to ensure that this powerful technology is used effectively and responsibly, paving the way for a future with more innovative and high quality software.

This content was produced by:

Cesar Soares Stenico

LinkedIn

Systems developer, graduated in Computer Science and holds an MBA in Digital Business. Works on building web applications, with a strong enthusiasm for new technologies, blockchain systems, and software engineering. With an innovative profile, constantly seeks to apply modern and efficient solutions in systems development.

Who wrote this column

Skylar

"Startup" de tecnologia e legendagem que faz parte das iniciativas do Pecege, utiliza inteligência artificial e técnicas linguísticas para fazer legendagem em tempo real. Atuante nas áreas de educação, eventos, agronegócio, tecnologia, saúde, entretenimento e esportes, entre outras. Acesse o site!

You may also like

October 02, 2026

Determinants of supermarket location in São Paulo

A study investigated the determining factors for supermarket location in the state of São Paulo, with the objective of investigating the factors that explain the presence and expansion of these establishments, considering socioeconomic, demographic, and market dimensions. Data from the 2010 and 2022 Demographic Censuses of IBGE and information from the National Registry of Legal Entities of the Federal Revenue of Brazil were used to build a georeferenced database. A Random Forest classification model was applied, adjusted by grid search with cross-validation, prioritizing the recall-macro metric due to the imbalance of the dependent variable, which represented the presence or absence of supermarkets within a 50-meter buffer. The results indicated that supermarket location is strongly associated with demographic, income, and population characteristics in the surrounding area. The analysis of variable importance showed that sociodemographic factors, such as elderly literacy, household income, and the presence of other food establishments, exerted significant influence, especially in the immediate vicinity. The findings reinforced the hypothesis that the spatial distribution of supermarkets is not random, being conditioned by socioeconomic characteristics and the commercial structure of the territory, offering subsidies for business decisions and urban planning.

Keywords: Spatial Analysis; Machine learning; Expansion; Commercial location; Supermarkets.

Neuroscience And Learning In Education

October 02, 2026

Anti-Racist Education: Inclusive Educational Practices and Social Development

Antiracist education, understood as a structuring axis of inclusive education and social development, was investigated in the Brazilian context. The study aimed to identify and analyze, based on legal documents and teachers’ perceptions, educational practices capable of promoting antiracism in school and society, and how the implementation of Laws nº 10.639/03 and nº 11.645/08 contributed to social justice. A qualitative and documentary approach was adopted, with analysis of educational legislation, curricular guidelines, institutional reports, and academic literature. Complementarily, a semi-structured questionnaire was applied to 295 Basic Education teachers. The data were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively, through thematic content analysis, and validated with bibliographic studies. The results revealed a paradox: despite a robust legal framework, the implementation of antiracist policies proved fragile and sporadic, with a lack of teacher training, adequate teaching materials, and monitoring. Significant educational inequalities between white and black students were found to persist, and most teachers acknowledged the occurrence of racism in schools, but without clear institutional protocols. Neuroscientific analysis showed that racism negatively impacts students’ cognitive and emotional development. It was concluded that antiracist education is central to quality education, requiring political commitment, public investment, and intersectoral articulation. The integration of Neuroscience in teacher training and the production of qualified materials are crucial to strengthen the school’s role in building a more just and inclusive society.

Keywords: Social Development; Antiracist Education; Social Justice; Law 10.639/03; Inclusive Educational Practices.

Neuroscience And Learning In Education

October 02, 2026

Paths of Inclusion: Perceptions of Parents and Teachers on the Schooling of Students with Dual Exceptionality in the Brazilian Context

Dual Exceptionality, characterized by the coexistence of High Abilities/Giftedness and neurodevelopmental disorders, represents a complex phenomenon that challenges traditional identification and schooling models. The study aimed to understand the perceptions of parents or guardians, teachers, and other education professionals regarding the schooling of students with Dual Exceptionality in the Brazilian context, investigating challenges, pedagogical strategies, and possibilities for inclusion based on equity. The research adopted a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, and collected data through an online, voluntary, and anonymous questionnaire answered by 25 participants. Discursive data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The results indicated that knowledge about the topic is often built from personal and professional experiences, revealing gaps in systematic training. Difficulties were identified in identifying these students, in teacher training, and in implementing individualized educational plans, pedagogical flexibility, and curriculum enrichment. Socio-emotional repercussions, such as frustration and low self-esteem, were reported. However, some schools demonstrated inclusive practices based on equity, articulating specific needs and potentialities. Although the results do not allow for generalizations, they highlighted the need to strengthen professional training and the articulation between school, family, and specialized services. It was concluded that the inclusion of students with Dual Exceptionality requires practices that simultaneously recognize their difficulties and potentialities, ensuring equitable conditions for participation, learning, and development.

Keywords: Human development; Teacher training; School inclusion; Neurodivergence; Pedagogical practices.

October 02, 2026

Data Transformation into Strategy: Applied Research for Ecotourism Operation Optimization

The growing demand in ecotourism in Minas Gerais has driven the search for business intelligence to transform customer data into strategic information. The study aimed to structure a data science pipeline to collect, segment, and classify the customer base of an ecotourism operation, in order to optimize marketing actions and anticipate market movements. An exploratory, quali-quantitative research was conducted through a case study. 2,777 transactional records from an ecotourism company, referring to January 2024 to December 2025, were used. The methodological process involved automated data collection (Google Sheets API), processing and enrichment (ETL), validation, and creation of RFM (Recency, Frequency, and Monetary Value) attributes. Dimensionality reduction via PCA and K-Means clustering was applied, with the number of clusters defined by the Elbow method and Silhouette Score. The results were validated with DBSCAN and K-Medoids. The results revealed the identification of three behavioral customer segments: “Loyal”, “Low Value”, and “Potential”. The “Loyal” segment represented the highest accumulated economic value, while the “Potential” segment stood out for its high average ticket and potential for conversion into recurrence. The integration of data analysis techniques proved to be a robust and replicable method for generating intelligence in ecotourism. It was concluded that the structured data science pipeline enabled the behavioral segmentation of the customer base, the statistical validation of the groups, and the creation of a predictive system for new buyers, providing subsidies for data-driven strategic decisions and future analyses.

Keywords: Clustering; Business intelligence; Machine Learning; Customer segmentation; Decision making.

October 02, 2026

Classification of defaulting customers using supervised machine learning techniques

The risk of default in credit operations demanded analytical approaches to anticipate losses. This study comparatively evaluated the performance of supervised machine learning models in classifying defaulting customers in credit card operations. The public dataset “Default of Credit Card Clients” from the University of California Irvine was used, with 30,000 observations and class imbalance. The algorithms Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Extreme Gradient Boosting were employed. The imbalance was addressed by assigning weights to the classes, and model optimization occurred with the RandomizedSearchCV method, prioritizing sensitivity. Cross-validation results indicated that the Extreme Gradient Boosting model showed a higher capacity for identifying the defaulting class and better discriminatory performance, followed by Random Forest and Logistic Regression, with a sensitivity of 0.8250 and an AUC-ROC of 0.7844 for XGBoost. Interpretability analysis, conducted by the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) technique, highlighted the predominance of variables associated with payment behavior, especially the history of delays. It was concluded that tree-based models, particularly boosting techniques, proved to be more suitable for capturing complex patterns in the data, configuring themselves as consistent alternatives for credit risk management.

Keywords: Machine Learning; Credit Card; Classification; Extreme Gradient Boosting; Credit Risk.

October 02, 2026

Sentiment Analysis on Brazilian Banks on Twitter/X: Comparison between Traditional and Digital Institutions

A study analyzed public perception of Brazilian financial institutions on the Twitter/X platform, highlighting the importance of sentiment monitoring on social networks for understanding reputation and customer experience in the banking sector. The objective was to compare user perception of the image and reputation of traditional and digital banks, based on the sentiment patterns identified in the analyzed manifestations, seeking to identify structural differences between these groups. The methodology was based on the analysis of 1,096 tweets collected between November 2022 and June 2023. Two complementary sentiment analysis approaches were used, the sum and the average of labels, to capture the majority sentiment and nuances of perception. Additionally, the Market Profile Model, with indicators of emotional reputation, reputational risk, neutrality, and polarization, and the Banking Clustering Model, which allowed grouping institutions according to perception patterns, were developed. The results indicated a predominance of neutral and negative sentiments, a higher volume of interactions in digital banks, and structural differences in the emotional intensity of perceptions, with greater stability in digital banks and greater polarization in traditional ones. It was concluded that the combination of analytical and statistical techniques contributed to an in-depth understanding of institutional image in the digital environment, demonstrating the importance of data-driven reputation management strategies.

Keywords: Digital banks; Traditional banks; Data modeling; Opinion mining; Social Networks.

October 02, 2026

Optimization of annual budget planning through project management methodologies

The Annual Budget Planning (POA) is a crucial process for translating organizational strategy into operational and financial goals, but it frequently faces deadline pressures, interdepartmental dependencies, and the repetition of habitual expenses. The study aimed to analyze how the combined application of project management practices and Zero-Based Budgeting (OBZ) can optimize the POA. To this end, a case study was developed in the Brazilian operation of a publicly traded company in the beverage sector, using documentary research of its 2023 results report and an anonymous questionnaire applied to 47 respondents. Documentary analysis indicated growth in net revenue, expansion of gross profit and adjusted EBITDA, and contained advancement of selling, general, and administrative expenses, suggesting cost discipline and operational leverage. The complementary survey revealed a high perception of cascading effect on the schedule, strong support for defining cost package owners, and a preference for technical justification of expenses, in addition to demand for controlled flexibility after the baseline definition. It was concluded that structuring the POA as a project, associated with the rigor of OBZ, increased the process predictability, reinforced accountability for expenses, and broadened the coherence between budgetary execution and economic-financial performance.

Keywords: Cost Control; Operational Efficiency; Zero-Based Budgeting; PMBOK; Beverage Sector.