As artificial intelligence has become more prevalent in the world around us, so too has it become more prevalent in the OutSystems platform. Here are some of the AI capabilities you get out of the box with OutSystems that make it easier and faster to build applications and move them all through the SDLC process smoothly, swiftly, and securely.
A low-code platform with generative AI built-in that also supports building generative AI apps
For organizations that want to use GenAI to build apps without having to jump between tools or iterate, embed, or validate them manually, OutSystems Developer Cloud offers Mentor. From app creation and automating repetitive tasks to streamlining code reviews and automatic security checks, Mentor ensures fast, error-free, secure application deployment every time.
Application generation with GenAI and low-code
OutSystems Mentor uses generative AI to transform conversational prompts and requirements provided by developers into fully functional applications. After they describe the app or upload requirements document, Mentor generates a complete full-stack app—data models, logic, and UI—that developers can share with stakeholders for input.
Improving your app with AI and low-code
Getting to an MVP or working prototype can be the biggest hurdle to overcome in application delivery. But now that you’re there, iteration becomes critical. Once your app is generated, the App Editor feature of Mentor takes you from a V1 to a production-ready app that can scale to be everything you need it to be. App Editor analyzes its structure and data model and offers smart recommendations about how to improve it. If you see a change you need to make, don’t worry about how it might impact the rest of your application or system. You can make that change once, and Mentor has the rest covered, automatically checking and fixing dependencies before moving the application to a new valid state.
AI-powered identification of security vulnerabilities
Mentor also addresses a critical concern in AI and generative AI development as well as software in general—how secure are my apps? It automatically and thoroughly examines and scrutinizes the applications you’ve developed for potential security vulnerabilities. Using AI, it efficiently identifies possible instances of security weakness, promptly notifies the appropriate teams, and offers detailed guidance for mitigating and addressing such issues.
AI-powered identification of performance issues
Mentor also analyzes code and identifies opportunities for enhancing application performance. It can understand the factors that contribute to decreased performance and detect code segments that could affect future performance. It proactively flags these issues, triggers warnings, and provides guidance about how to address them.
AI-powered technical debt analysis
One definition of technical debt is that it is the consequence of choosing quick and cheap technology solutions over robust and efficient ones. Another is the release of a workable solution with a commitment to find an optimal one as soon as possible, thereby repaying a technical debt. Either way, it can be costly and affect business operations. All the features of Mentor and OutSystems Developer Cloud play a pivotal role in guiding users towards creating high-quality applications in time for their first release.
Using OutSystems to build generative AI applications
Organizations that want to experiment with ChatGPT-like functionality are often held back by concerns around potential data usage issues and compliance. Others are not sure how to get started. To eliminate that concern and uncertainty, OutSystems offers AI Agent Builder. It enables developers to build AI agents–a collection of pre-built agents, templates, an internal GPT support portal, model connections, configurations, and prompts that enable developers to access GenAI technologies, all without coding.
“75% of OutSystems customers are still in the beginning stage of generative AI implementation, and we want to help them meet the moment.”
—Paulo Rosado, Founder and Chairman of the Board, OutSystems
The agents that developers create with AI Agent Builder are visual elements that handle GenAI functionality so that developers do not have to worry about the complexities. These agents can also be a playground that helps developers surround an agent with logic and software until it becomes really effective. They can iterate and test agents to see if they're respecting policies (such as not sharing confidential information from company data sources), accessing rules, or hallucinating, all of which are crucial to building a highly adaptable system.
“When developers configure the agent, the platform ensures that the data doesn’t contain sensitive data that an organization would not want exposed. It also monitors things like token usage so users are aware of the costs of each model and how much information each model provides.”
—Rodrigo Coutinho, Co-Founder and AI Product Manager, OutSystems
