Roundup: How AI Boosts No-Code/Low-Code Development
‘Vibecoding’ uses AI to create customized instructions to tell applications on what to do.
For years, there’s been talk of “citizen developers,” non-technical folks create their own solutions through simple interfaces, like drag-and-drop, with no coding required. Also referred to as “low-code” or “no-code” development, the approach allows users to create their own collections of instructions that direct applications on what to do. (This isn’t the same thing as AI agents, which are AI solutions that perform certain tasks or make specified decisions.)
Now there’s a new term in play: “vibecoding.” New tools, said Kevin Roose in the New York Times, “take advantage of more powerful AI models that enable even neophytes to program like pros.”
Roose describes the process:
After you type in your prompt, mysterious lines of code fly past, and a few seconds later, if everything goes well, a working prototype emerges. Users can suggest tweaks and revisions, and when they’re happy with it, they can deploy their new product to the web, or run it on their computers. The process can take just a few minutes, or as long as several hours, depending on the complexity of the project.
There are downsides to vibecoding: AI could generate malicious code or kick off autonomous cyberattacks. Vibecoding tools, Roose suggests, “[are] probably best for hobby projects, not essential tasks.”
Humans Still Needed
Roose allows that such citizen programming requires careful human oversight. AI is capable of making mistakes, after all, and often needs a person to make some kind of decision as it designs and implements a solution. But, he said, “Many AI companies are working on software engineering agents that could fully replace human programmers.”
In the real world, the spread of low-code development has been steady. The market for low-code platforms was worth an estimated $6.78 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of around 22.9% from 2023 to 2030. Meanwhile, 75% of top executives said low-code is “the only option for coding in the future.” In December, Visier launched tools to manage Visier Agents as they crunch data.
The idea of citizen developers is attractive for a number of reasons: They allow SMEs to create their own solutions, for one thing, which means development is done by someone who intimately understands the data and tasks in question. It’s only natural for employers to think about workaday HR practitioners quickly and cheaply building their own solutions to their company’s specific problems. It seems that AI’s capabilities is further encouraging such thinking.
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