Google Colab, a popular platform for coding in Python and machine learning, has announced a new feature that promises to revolutionize the way we code. In a recent post, Google declared that Colab will soon integrate AI-powered support for programming, including code completions, natural language-to-code generation, and even a code-aware chatbot.
These AI capabilities in Colab will be powered by Google’s Codey programming model, announced at Google I/O 2023. Codey, a family of code models built on the PaLM 2 language model, has been customized for Python and Colab-specific uses, allowing developers to generate code including whole functions from natural language prompts.
While the rollout will initially cater to paying customers in the USA, the service will gradually extend to other regions, and eventually, to users of the free version. Google’s goal with these innovations is to minimize the tedium of writing repetitive code, enabling developers to focus on more interesting aspects of programming and data science.
A unique feature to look forward to is the “Colab AI” chatbot, which is designed to assist users with their coding queries. For instance, users could ask, “How do I import data from Google Sheets?” or “How do I filter a Pandas DataFrame?” — the chatbot is equipped to handle these and similar inquiries, reminiscent of the Studio Bot in Android Studio.
Apart from that, the natural language-to-code generation feature, like in GitHub Copilot, is intended to help users generate larger blocks of code, write whole functions from comments or prompts, and reduce the need for writing repetitive code. The new “Generate” button will be available in Colab notebooks, allowing users to enter any text prompt to generate code. Autocomplete suggestions will be available for eligible paid users.
Beyond Colab, Codey is also currently available in Google Cloud as a preview. With this move, Google is not just promising a future of AI-powered coding, but is actively bringing it to fruition4. This development signals an exciting evolution in the world of coding and opens up a world of possibilities for both seasoned developers and beginners alike.
