DeepMind has made software-writing AI that rivals average human coder

DeepMind, a UK-based AI company, has taught some of its machines to write computer software – and it performs almost as well as an average human programmer when judged in competition. The new AlphaCode system is claimed by DeepMind to be able to solve software problems that require a combination of logic, critical thinking and the ability to understand natural language. The tool was entered into 10 rounds on the programming competition website Codeforces, where human entrants test their coding skills. In these 10 rounds, AlphaCode placed at about the level of the median competitor. DeepMind says this is the first time an AI code-writing system has reached a competitive level of performance in programming contests.