Avito’s Senior iOS Developer on turning AI from a threat into a key tool—and why SwiftUI is replacing outdated development approaches. Avito’s Senior iOS Developer on turning AI from a threat into a key tool—and why SwiftUI is replacing outdated development approaches. Avito’s Senior iOS Developer on turning AI from a threat into a key tool—and why SwiftUI is replacing outdated development approaches. The rapid adoption of neural networks and generative AI across the tech industry is reshaping how mobile applications are designed, built, and scaled. According to Gartner, by 2026, more than 80% of enterprises will use generative AI APIs or deploy applications enhanced with generative AI. For iOS developers, this marks a shift not only in tools but in mindset, where adaptability and innovation become prerequisites. This transformation makes the expertise of practitioners who not only apply these technologies but also drive innovation in the industry particularly valuable. Gartner Alexey Marinin, Senior iOS Developer at Avito—Russia’s largest tech classifieds platform with over 50 million monthly users—has become one of the leading voices in mobile development under these new conditions. He is a top-tier specialist who contributed to some of Russia’s major companies: Sberbank (the country’s largest bank and Europe’s leader in POS transactions), MTS (Russia’s largest mobile carrier), Ozon (a major e-commerce platform), and Promsvyazbank. At Ozon, one of Alexey’s standout achievements was creating an analytics system that allowed the company to secure a major discount from a leading Russian advertising agency by connecting app data with external marketing insights. He also built advanced tools to fine-tune ad targeting and recommendations, boosting overall business efficiency. He shared his vision of how current changes are affecting iOS development, specifically highlighting the potential of SwiftUI as a next-generation user interface framework and the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the engineering process. Key IT Trends: AI, Remote Work, and Rising Competition Over the past few years, the  IT landscape has undergone a major transformation. According to Marinin, three trends dominate the conversation: the mainstream adoption of AI tools, the normalization of remote work, and the intensifying competition for tech talent across borders. Tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT are no longer experimental—they're part of a developer’s daily toolkit. “AI speeds up coding, helps with design, and even reviews code. It's no longer just about writing code—what matters now is how effectively you can work with AI assistants and get the most out of them,” notes the expert. “AI speeds up coding, helps with design, and even reviews code. It's no longer just about writing code—what matters now is how effectively you can work with AI assistants and get the most out of them,” Remote work, which was still uncommon in 2022–2023, became the standard by 2025. This opened up the global job market, but also heightened competition: developers worldwide now compete for the same positions. In this environment, it’s no longer enough to master technology—developers must actively improve their communication, critical thinking, and ability to align engineering with business goals. Experience Across Giants: From Banking Conservatism to E-Commerce Agility Marinin's diverse experience in companies of various sizes and industries gives him a unique understanding of contrasting approaches to development. Throughout his career, Alexey has contributed to projects of varying scale and focus: as Lead iOS Engineer at Promsvyazbank, he works on Russia’s first digital currency initiative; as Lead iOS Engineer at Ozon, he led the design and implementation of analytics and monetization systems for over 100 million users; as Senior iOS Engineer at MTS, he developed financial and investment libraries; and he began his career at Sberbank as an iOS Engineer, creating process-mining and analytical applications. His work spans traditional financial institutions and dynamic marketplace platforms, each with its own technological requirements. “In banks, the processes are conservative: rare releases, a strong emphasis on security, and continued support for legacy devices. In e-commerce and classifieds like Ozon and Avito, it’s the opposite: fast weekly releases, heavy test automation, and flexible, low-bureaucracy teams.” In banking, according to Alexey's observations, teams are more hierarchical, with a higher share of analysts and managers compared to developers, and applications must often support outdated devices. In Ozon and Avito, teams are autonomous, roles are blurred, and companies adopt the newest technologies, including backend-driven UI, which allows rapid experimentation without releasing a new version. “In banks, the processes are conservative: rare releases, a strong emphasis on security, and continued support for legacy devices. In e-commerce and classifieds like Ozon and Avito, it’s the opposite: fast weekly releases, heavy test automation, and flexible, low-bureaucracy teams.” Banking development reminded him of internal processes at large corporations: long cycles and a strong focus on stability. E-commerce, by contrast, operates more like a startup—lean, product-focused, and innovation-driven. Understanding this difference helps developers select the most suitable approach for each project. 2025: A Turning Point for SwiftUI and AI Adoption Carefully monitoring industry trends, Alexey identifies 2025 as a turning point for iOS development: “SwiftUI is becoming the default framework and will replace older methods in the next few years. But more importantly, AI is being adopted at scale. We’ve stopped seeing AI as a threat and now use it as a productivity tool and idea generator.” “SwiftUI is becoming the default framework and will replace older methods in the next few years. But more importantly, AI is being adopted at scale. We’ve stopped seeing AI as a threat and now use it as a productivity tool and idea generator.” As an active judge and mentor at hackathons including Globee Awards for Technology, Leaders of Digital, and the IAHD Lifestyle Hackathon, and author of professional articles, Marinin observes innovation at its earliest stages:  “Startups are using AI for rapid prototyping. This isn’t just a tech trend—it’s a mindset shift: from fearing AI to collaborating with it.” “Startups are using AI for rapid prototyping. This isn’t just a tech trend—it’s a mindset shift: from fearing AI to collaborating with it.” From a technical standpoint, iOS translates this into an increased emphasis on the declarative approach of SwiftUI, a stronger culture of writing tests with frameworks such as XCTest and XCUITest, which existed before but are now being applied more systematically, as the approach to using technologies has changed significantly, and DevOps integration with tools like Xcode Cloud — all of which accelerate development cycles while improving application quality. The Realities of AI in Development: Limits and Possibilities Yet AI still has limitations, especially in large-scale projects. “In big codebases, AI mostly helps with simple tasks like test generation or autocomplete in Xcode,” Marinin explains. “It can’t yet handle complex context-specific logic. But startups and small teams are using it effectively for prototyping.” “In big codebases, AI mostly helps with simple tasks like test generation or autocomplete in Xcode,” Marinin explains. “It can’t yet handle complex context-specific logic. But startups and small teams are using it effectively for prototyping.” He emphasizes that AI will not replace iOS developers—it will handle routine tasks while developers focus on more valuable activities. Coding accounts for less than half of the work; the rest includes gathering requirements, evaluation, and communication. Additionally, security considerations prevent companies from uploading proprietary code to cloud-based AI services. Product design, architectural decisions, and UX optimization still require human expertise, especially given the App Store's strict guidelines and iOS-specific performance requirements. Developing Expertise Through Mentorship and Industry Building As a member of the International Association of High-Qualified Software Developers (IAHD) and a Master’s degree holder in Computer Science, Marinin actively contributes to the professional community. He views peer learning and mentoring as one of the most essential skills for staying relevant in a rapidly evolving industry. “Publishing articles and judging hackathons help you stay in touch with tech trends, learn from others, and build expertise. It also improves your ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms—a vital skill for working in teams,” an expert says. “Publishing articles and judging hackathons help you stay in touch with tech trends, learn from others, and build expertise. It also improves your ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms—a vital skill for working in teams,” He got his start at the innovative School 21, a Russian branch of École 42. For long-term growth, he combines bootcamp-style practical training with university education to strengthen theoretical foundations,  and believes in solid theoretical knowledge. His advice for beginners? Use a hybrid approach. “Bootcamps give you up-to-date skills and help you land a job fast—but they often lack depth. University education provides theoretical knowledge, but it can become outdated. The best path is not to choose between the two, but to combine them: start with intensive programs like École 42 to gain practical skills and quickly enter the profession, and then strengthen your background with academic education to build the theoretical foundations necessary for long-term career growth.” “Bootcamps give you up-to-date skills and help you land a job fast—but they often lack depth. University education provides theoretical knowledge, but it can become outdated. The best path is not to choose between the two, but to combine them: start with intensive programs like École 42 to gain practical skills and quickly enter the profession, and then strengthen your background with academic education to build the theoretical foundations necessary for long-term career growth.” Alexey explains that university programs, despite being slow to adapt to industry trends, offer an unmatched depth of fundamental knowledge—crucial for engineers who want to grow over decades. Bootcamps, in contrast, are shorter, highly relevant to market demands, and help students quickly understand whether the profession suits them. However, without a strong theoretical base, the knowledge from such courses eventually becomes insufficient. That is why, Marinin argues, the hybrid path allows specialists to get the best of both worlds. The Future of Mobile Development: AI-Driven UX and Superapp Ecosystems Looking ahead, Alexey sees three main drivers shaping the future: artificial intelligence, voice interfaces, and the integration of AR into everyday services: “iOS developers will increasingly work with AI to personalize and enhance user experiences,” he says. “iOS developers will increasingly work with AI to personalize and enhance user experiences,” AI, in his view, is no longer limited to code assistance—it will be deeply embedded into product development, helping tailor apps to individual needs. As for AR and VR, Marinin stresses that the shift will not happen overnight. Instead, companies like Apple are gradually preparing users for new interaction models. He points to the design changes in iOS 19: transparent, rounded icons, which echo earlier design transformations such as the move from skeuomorphic to flat icons. These visual cues, he suggests, are subtle signals—steps toward familiarizing users with the interfaces required for immersive AR headsets. Unlike earlier predictions around “superapps,” which he believes have already lost momentum, AR/VR and AI represent sustainable, long-term shifts in the way users will interact with technology. Alexey Marinin believes that understanding both product and business processes is the key to staying relevant in a rapidly changing market. His track record—developing solutions at Promsvyazbank, Ozon, and MTS that improved efficiency, saved companies billions, and enabled new services—is living proof of that philosophy.

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

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