Chapter 6: Using OutSystems to fuel your AI future

Guided development with intent learned from language models

If developers don’t have a clear picture of what they want to build, they can share their intent, and AI embedded in OutSystems can provide suggestions and then accelerate the iteration cycle. And because OutSystems has been learning from the data generated from years of development, it can also learn from vast language models to power more intelligent suggestions and even suggest functionality ideas.

Visual development with GenAI and low-code

OutSystems is well-suited to using generative AI to transform conversational prompts provided by developers into fully functional applications. GenAI prompts are easy to integrate into the OutSystems visual development environment, so developers can use natural language inputs to describe their desired applications. The visual nature of the OutSystems low-code platform also makes it easy to validate the output while state-of-the-art compiler technology detects threats and code patterns produced by GenAI.

AI-powered identification of security vulnerabilities

The OutSystems AI Mentor System includes a Security Mentor that addresses a critical concern in AI and GenAI development as well as software in general—how secure are my apps? The OutSystems Security Mentor thoroughly examines and scrutinises 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

AI can analyse code and identify opportunities for enhancing application performance, and that’s what the OutSystems Performance Mentor does. 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.

For example, if a developer unintentionally introduces code that could potentially slow down the application in the future, Performance Mentor can identify it quickly and show the developer how to make changes that improve speed and performance while maintaining functionality. It may also suggest optimisations such as simplifying complex code structures, eliminating nested loops, or consolidating multiple queries into a single query. By following the recommendations of Performance Mentor, developers gain valuable insights into areas where performance improvements without ever sacrificing functionality.

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. OutSystems AI Mentor Studio is a comprehensive set of tools that play a pivotal role in guiding users towards creating high-quality applications in time for their first release.

AI Mentor Studio is a centralised hub where users can access detailed code analysis for various critical aspects such as architecture, maintainability, performance, and security. It provides an integrated, bird’s eye view of technical debt across an entire portfolio of applications and the interdependencies between modules in the developers’ environment. A heat map visualisation of mild-to-severe problem areas helps IT leaders identify problem areas quickly and prioritise them accordingly. Powered by an advanced AI code analysis engine, AI Mentor Studio is continuously evolving to provide development teams with increasingly comprehensive, faster, and more accurate analysis.

Whatever the future holds–OutSystems will be right there

With our current GenAI and AI innovations and the others that are on our drawing boards, the OutSystems low-code platform will continue to provide the same level of enterprise-grade features and limitless customisations that it always has. That’s because there’s one thing that never changes at OutSystems. We are dedicated to helping our customers build the business-critical apps that matter most to their business while reducing the complex demands being placed on IT.

The practical application of generative AI in software development is low-code

To sum up the last few chapters, the most likely impact that GenAI will make on software development is the end of writing code as we know it. Drag-and-drop visual elements and prompts will replace hand coding. In other words, all future development products are going to look like no-code or low-code platforms, and these platforms are going to evolve.

In this evolution, AI will be like a super-smart assistant, transforming ideas into polished, efficient code. Meanwhile, low-code platforms will make connecting different components, designing user interfaces, and launching applications a snap. Increasingly, developers will be able to focus on the big picture, defining what needs to be built and determining if it’s done right rather than getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty of how to build it. By joining forces, AI and low-code will open the doors for more people to get involved in shaping the software that drives our digital world. It’s a game-changer that will empower a larger community to bring their software visions to life.

The future of software development is a human-machine collaboration. It will blend the intuition and lived experiences of humans with the speed, accuracy, and tireless effort of artificial intelligence. It will be exciting to see this all come together.

To learn more about OutSystems and generative artificial intelligence, visit the OutSystems AI for app development dedicated page.