AI chatbots built a software company in under 7 minutes costing less than a dollar

The experiment, dubbed ChatDev,' harnessed the power of ChatGPT's 3.5 model to create a hypothetical software-development company. (Representational)

Researchers from Brown University and various Chinese universities have unveiled the incredible potential of artificial-intelligence chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT. These chatbots, powered by state-of-the-art language models, have demonstrated their ability to run a software company with remarkable efficiency and minimal human intervention when they completed the entire software-development process in under seven minutes, all at a cost of less than one dollar.

The experiment, dubbed "ChatDev," harnessed the power of ChatGPT's 3.5 model to create a hypothetical software-development company. The researchers organized the company into four sequential stages: designing, coding, testing, and documenting, following the traditional waterfall model.

Each AI bot was assigned specific roles, such as "CEO," "CTO," "programmer," and "art designer," with defined tasks, communication protocols, termination criteria, and constraints.

The magic began as these AI workers seamlessly interacted, making critical decisions and resolving complex challenges at each stage. From selecting the programming language to identifying and fixing bugs, ChatDev operated with autonomy, weaving together a software-development process.

One of the tasks assigned to ChatDev was to "design a basic Gomoku game," a strategy board game known as "Five in a Row." The CEO and CTO quickly decided on Python as the programming language due to its versatility and simplicity. This efficient decision-making process continued through the coding stage, where the programmer and art designer collaborated to create a beautiful graphical user interface.

Over the course of the experiment, ChatDev completed 70 tasks, consistently delivering exceptional results. The AI-powered company demonstrated the ability to develop software "in under seven minutes at a cost of less than one dollar," showcasing its remarkable efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Approximately 86.66% of the generated software systems were executed flawlessly.

Since its release, ChatGPT has made a significant impact across industries, revolutionizing how professionals work. Coders, in particular, have benefited from generative-AI tools like ChatGPT. Daniel Dippold, a coder in Berlin, successfully used ChatGPT to develop a program that aided him in finding an apartment. Even Amazon employees have leveraged ChatGPT for software development tasks.

Researchers, however, have identified potential errors and biases in language models that could impact software creation.