The role of AI and automation in low-code development

According to a recent OutSystems and KPMG study, software executives have made substantial gains from implementing AI in their development processes, with 75% noting up to a 50% reduction in development time through AI and automation integration. This metric signals a fundamental shift in how organizations approach application development and modernization efforts.

In this blog, I explain the impact of AI and automation on low-code development, share stories of companies reaping the benefits, and demonstrate why I believe the OutSystems vision for generative AI contributed to its being named a leader in the Gartner® 2024 Magic Quadrant™ for Low-Code Application Platforms.¹

How AI and automation are reshaping software development

The OutSystems and KPMG study reveals significant insights into how AI is transforming the software development lifecycle (SDLC). For example, 84% of organizations have incorporated AI into their SDLC in the past 6 months to 5 years.

Currently, testing, quality assurance, and security vulnerability detection represent the most widely adopted use cases for AI in software development. However, now that generative AI is widely available and maturing, development teams are combining it with other artificial intelligence disciplines to redefine application development and significantly accelerate digital transformation. Most notably, it’s compressing development timelines to a point that was once considered impossible, partly due to automation that wasn’t possible before AI. Now, historically impossible transformation projects are not only possible but easier, cheaper, and faster to accomplish.

The evolving role of developers

As AI integration deepens, how is software development work changing? The most notable development is the shift from code writer to code reviewer. Large language models (LLMs) are a big help to developers, but they still make mistakes. As these models evolve, and trust in the resulting code improves, the developer's role will be more akin to that of an orchestrator and acceptance tester of AI-generated outputs.

A focus on what’s unique about humans

This evolution of developers presents a significant opportunity for developers to focus on higher-value tasks while AI handles and automates repetitive coding functions. In fact, 71% of the OutSystems and KPMG survey respondents plan to incorporate artificial intelligence into application development, signaling broad recognition of the potential for AI and automation to boost the important work of developers. Why? Because they are not forced to spend a lot of their time on tedious tasks.

How fast can you go? Roche builds an app in record time with low-code and AI

The integration of AI with low-code platforms is a particularly powerful example, because it further accelerates the speed of a visual development approach that has already proven to be a development time saver. For example, multinational pharmaceutical and diagnostics company Roche used low-code and AI to develop a companion app in record time. Roche Chat is a companion app that offers employees real-time support, collaborative tools, and custom AI agents.

If you want to accelerate your innovative digital transformation initiatives, it helps to understand how artificial intelligence and low-code work together.

How AI and automation enhance low-code development at Bosch and Matrix

AI has been infused in the OutSystems platform since 2018, and IT leaders and developers have shared how this has benefited them in three main areas.

Operations

AI-assisted development in OutSystems automates common operational activities that traditionally consume substantial developer time, including testing. When applications fail testing, artificial intelligenceI provides targeted feedback about areas requiring attention. This automation enables developers to maintain higher productivity and engagement, while newer developers benefit from the collective wisdom embedded in these systems. The development team at global manufacturing giant Bosch not only appreciates the automation of operations provided by AI in OutSystems, but they use the platform with 100% confidence that they’re getting the AI benefits without the AI risks.

Validation

Validation capabilities built into low-code help maintain code quality even as development speeds increase. AI-powered discovery tools analyze application dependencies, identifying violations and flagging elements assembled incorrectly. These tools use AI automation to enforce best practices and identify code duplication while enabling teams to maintain velocity amid accelerated production schedules. In a recent blog, Elton Escaleira, Product and Service Manager at Bosch, shared how the automation provided by OutSystems helps his team with validation.

Guidance

Development roadblocks can significantly impact project timelines. AI-assisted development provides contextualized assistance that can increase development speed and unblock developers. Matrix, a corporate services company in the UK, discovered how much this guidance and support improved development and accelerated a massive project after they adopted OutSystems. AI in OutSystems provides next-step suggestions that guide developers through complex logical flows, reducing the cognitive burden of application development. It also provides links to resources that can help them when they have questions.

When AI is infused into these areas and others, companies are seeing benefits, and we have the receipts.

AmTrust sees measurable benefits from the integration of AI with low-code

The OutSystems and KPMG survey findings indicate that confidence in AI-generated code quality has increased substantially. Half of the respondents reported that implementing AI and using it for automation have improved software quality, enhanced decision-making, and increased efficiency in testing and quality assurance processes. Furthermore, 56% of respondents say they deliver applications with fewer bugs and improved performance when AI is strategically incorporated into SDLC processes.

This improved quality comes alongside the previously mentioned development speed improvements, creating a compelling value proposition for organizations seeking to accelerate digital transformation initiatives without sacrificing application quality.

AI capabilities available in OutSystems help developers at AmTrust, a leading global property and casualty insurance company headquartered in the US, follow best practices. Step-by-step instructions provided by AI enable developers to optimize app performance. As a result, AmTrust delivered 6 flawless apps in 15 months. Additionally, as part of AmTrust’s OutSystems Center of Excellence (CoE), technical leads from the development teams get together periodically to discuss any potential challenges and remediate technical debt before it accumulates.

OutSystems: Leading the AI-powered low-code movement

In its recent report, Gartner positioned OutSystems furthest for “Completeness of Vision.” It also noted, “OutSystems has responded to developer demand for GenAI features,” mentioning Mentor, a generative-AI-powered and AI-supported application development capability.²  Gartner adds, “It builds a strong sense of developer needs by engaging with communities, organizing events, and offering developer training and certifications."³

With Mentor, the OutSystems vision is now a reality, offering:

• App generation using conversational prompts, allowing developers to describe applications in natural language while generative AI handles implementation details
• Real-time visual representations of app changes to validate the output of generative AI
• An extensive ecosystem of AI connectors enabling customers to build AI-powered applications quickly using services from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and other providers

As CIO João Copeto of the wildly popular Portuguese soccer (football) club, Benfica puts it, “These new capabilities in terms of generative AI are already helping a lot of the development teams to create things differently and to be more productive. So everybody wins.”

The future of AI-assisted development

By adding AI capabilities throughout the development process and with the release of Mentor, the OutSystems low-code platform helps teams maximize their existing capabilities while focusing on truly differentiating software rather than routine maintenance tasks. As AI integration deepens, organizations can expect further compression of development timelines, improved code quality, and a shift toward more strategic development work.

Evaluating low-code platforms? Read the Gartner® 2024 Magic Quadrant™ for Low-Code Application Platforms for information on the options available.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

1, 2, 3 Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms, Oleksandr Matvitskyy, Kyle Davis, Akash Jain, 16 October 2024.