Google is joining Microsoft in introducing powerful AI features to its Colab platform.
On Wednesday, the tech company announced that Colab will soon add AI coding features like code completions, natural language to code generation and even a code-assisting chatbot.
Colab will make use of Codey – a collection of code models developed based on the recently announced PaLM 2 at I/O.
To enhance its coding capabilities, Codey underwent fine-tuning using a substantial dataset of top-notch code obtained from external sources, which had permissive licenses.
Furthermore, the versions of Codey employed to drive Colab have been specifically tailored for Python and optimized for Colab’s unique functionalities.
Colab is rolling out exclusive access to Codey models for its users in the United States. These models are designed to significantly enhance programming speed, improve code quality, and facilitate better understanding of code. The initial features will primarily revolve around code generation.
With the integration of natural language to code generation, Colab empowers users to generate extensive sections of code effortlessly. This means you can generate entire functions based on comments or prompts, reducing the need for repetitive code writing. By automating these tasks, you can concentrate on the more fascinating aspects of programming and data science.
Qualified Colab users will notice a new addition to their notebooks—an intuitive “Generate” button. This functionality enables users to input any text prompt and generate corresponding code based on it. The purpose is to streamline the code generation process, making it more efficient and accessible for users.
Eligible paid users will see autocomplete suggestions as they type.
An AI chatbot will also be integrated directly into Colab, allowing you to ask questions directly on your dashboard.
Colab is used by millions of students specifically to learn Python, and these latest improvements should make the process a lot easier.
Announcements on new releases and availability will be made on the @googlecolab Twitter account.
