Software leader OutSystems recently issued its 2024 outlook examining how generative artificial intelligence (AI) and low-code application development are positioned to evolve next year. The analysis provides key recommendations on how CIOs and other IT decision makers can optimize their innovation strategies.
Central to the report is the prediction that combining low-code tools with generative AI will unlock immense productivity gains. Low-code platforms provide the necessary guardrails for teams to safely test generative AI capabilities. Together, these technologies promise to automate repetitive coding work, free up developer capacity for higher value projects, alleviate burnout, and enable faster experimentation.
“With the built-in guardrails of low-code platforms, teams can innovate freely without the privacy and security concerns associated with public AI models,” commented OutSystems CIO Tiago Azevedo.
The report forecasts that by 2028, 75% of enterprise software engineers will leverage AI coding assistants in their workflows, a massive increase from less than 10% currently. To capitalize on the promise of AI-powered development, organizations must invest now in comprehensive upskilling and reskilling programs. Proper training will be essential for developers to successfully integrate new AI capabilities with their existing skills.
Customer-facing roles are also expected to undergo rapid transformations thanks to AI adoption. Use cases likely to emerge next year include more automated, personalized customer support interactions, as well as streamlined HR processes like recruitment and onboarding. Front office staff stand to benefit tremendously from AI capabilities like anticipating customer needs, while supporting roles will be empowered to focus more on high-value tasks.
OutSystems predicts mid-size companies facing constrained budgets will increasingly prioritize cloud-native solutions in 2024. The scalability, cost structure, and ease of management of cloud-native infrastructure and development tools will provide much needed efficiency. Low-code is uniquely positioned to then rapidly bring ideas built in the cloud to production.
Finally, low-code itself promises to improve cross-departmental collaboration moving forward. Low-code’s visual nature makes business logic accessible for non-developers. This helps break down traditional communication silos stemming from abstract, text-based code. Better understanding of how applications function will enable closer alignment between technical and non-technical teams.
In summary, OutSystems’ 2024 outlook foresees generative AI and low-code combining to massively accelerate digital innovation. But to ride this wave successfully, organizations must equip developers with the latest AI skills while standardizing on agile low-code practices.
