For enterprise developers, even saving a few keystrokes can make a significant difference in efficiency. To streamline the coding process, Amazon recently introduced an upgraded version of its genAI-powered inline chat functionality for its Q Developer platform. Previously, AI-suggested code and documentation would appear in a separate window, requiring developers to manually cut and paste it into their editor. Now, this feature integrates directly into the code editor within Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs, making it much easier for developers to quickly access and apply AI-generated suggestions without interrupting their workflow.
The new inline chat feature enables developers to engage directly with AI within their development environment. According to Amazon’s announcement, developers can now select a portion of code in need of assistance and initiate a chat to request specific actions, such as optimizing the code, adding comments, or even generating tests. This new functionality helps developers save time and reduces the friction involved in accessing helpful AI suggestions, improving overall productivity during development.
Amazon Q Developer, the platform powering this feature, is built on Amazon Bedrock and is integrated with the latest version of Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet, a language model specifically designed for programming tasks. The update marks the first major capability of Amazon Q Developer powered by this advanced version of Claude, which launched in October. This move reflects Amazon’s continued investment in AI tools aimed at enhancing the development experience, providing even more powerful features for coding assistance.
Industry analysts have taken notice of the shift to Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet for Amazon’s inline chat capabilities. Jason Andersen, a VP at Moor Insights & Strategy, noted that the switch to a programming-optimized version of Claude could be a sign that Amazon has identified it as a more reliable tool for coding tasks. While this remains speculative, Andersen suggested that Amazon may reveal more details, possibly related to acceptance rates, at the upcoming re:Invent event. This strategic upgrade indicates Amazon’s commitment to continuously improving its developer tools and AI-driven features.