I recently shared how several breakthrough low-code platforms are innovating their developer and end-user experiences with gen AI. I reported the strategies, platform experiences, and technical capabilities from Quickbase, Appian, Pega, and SAP that they shared at their Q2 conferences.

The SaaS, low-code, and no-code space continue to innovate with gen AI capabilities. AI capabilities will be a major differentiator when selecting platforms and choosing which to develop new applications. Below is a roundup of gen AI innovations from five low-code / no-code solutions.

Use no-code for domain-specific LLMs

Gen AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are generic large language models (LLMs),  while the major cloud providers support retrieval augmented generation (RAG) capabilities to incorporate enterprise data in private LLMs. An emerging set of no-code tools enables organizations in information-rich industries like medical and legal to develop and optimize LLMs for these domains.

“One valuable use case for no-code tools embedding generative AI capabilities is to leverage an LLM to bootstrap small, task-specific models. Domain experts, like medical doctors or lawyers, can define the task to achieve, provide prompts to solve it, see how they perform on real documents, and provide feedback that improves accuracy. That feedback is used to train downstream AI models. Not only is this more cost-effective to run at scale, but it improves accuracy and supports the human-in-the-loop needs of high compliance industries, like healthcare and law.” –  David Talby, CTO of John Snow Labs.

Build integrations with natural language

Integrations used to be a difficult moat for development teams to bridge. Then came APIs, no-code integration platforms, and integration platforms as a service (iPaaS) to simplify and accelerate development. Now, some of these platforms are adding the capabilities to develop integrations using natural language and other gen AI capabilities.

“The Tray Universal Automation Cloud is a composable AI integration platform that IT departments, business technologists, and fusion teams can use to quickly and safely build integrations, automate workflows, and infuse AI into business processes. It offers the flexibility to prototype, deploy, and adapt as new AI technologies emerge and business needs change. The platform’s Merlin Intelligence layer powers all AI capabilities, such as Merlin Guardian, which masks sensitive data so CIOs can harness the power of AI integration without compromising data safety, and the Merlin AI Palette makes adding AI to any process simple and straightforward so IT can quickly prototype AI solutions, connect with the latest LLMs, and securely handle data.” – Rich Waldron, cofounder and CEO of Tray.ai.

Simplify the low-code and no-code developer experience

Low-code and no-code platforms strive to simplify the development experience by using visual paradigms, drag-and-drop interfaces, and other tools to simplify building applications. Gen AI now adds new ways for app builders – both technologists and citizen developers – to interact with low-code and no-code platforms when developing and enhancing applications.

“Kissflow is a platform that has both no-code & low-code capabilities. Our no-code capabilities allow process owners to automate internal business processes on a self-service basis and require no programming knowledge. On the other hand, Kissflow’s low-code capabilities allow internal IT teams to build full-fledged business applications. The platform enables enterprises to automate all their middle office processes, leading to digital transformation. We believe gen AI will reduce the semantic gap between the user and system. AI is enabled across our platform in many ways, such as AI-suggested fields, workflows, integrations, and smart attachments. This will reduce the time and effort required for citizen and professional developers to build apps.” – Dinesh Varadharajan, chief product officer of Kissflow.

Accelerate time-to-deliver innovations

Many organizations use low-code and no-code platforms to automate workflows, create analytical dashboards, and simplify integrations. Innovative organizations also use these platforms to improve employee experiences, prototype new capabilities, and deploy robust mission-critical applications. The key to success is focusing on end-user adoption, and gen AI is helping low-code and no-code developers shift their focus from technical tasks to customer experiences.

“Generative AI is transforming SaaS, low-code, and no-code platforms by accelerating customer adoption, development, deployment, and iteration. Gen AI-powered natural language interfaces simplify complex systems, speeding up user engagement and SaaS growth. It automates coding tasks, allowing developers to focus on creativity significantly reducing development time. Gen AI also optimizes configurations, ensuring seamless deployment with minimal downtime and enabling businesses to respond quickly to market demands. Furthermore, gen AI enhances agility by facilitating rapid prototyping and iteration, helping teams innovate faster and stay competitive in today’s fast-paced environment.” – Rajan Nagina, head of AI practice at Newgen Software.

Scale app development across the enterprise

Large enterprises may have large devops teams, but their demand for app modernization and workflow automations almost always surpasses their development capacity. Low-code and no-code platforms have helped organizations expand dev capabilities, and now gen AI provides new opportunities to expand dev capabilities to more departments and employees.

“ServiceNow’s Creator Workflows on the Now Platform are redefining how workflows are developed using low-code, no-code, and AI technologies. Key innovations like AI-enabled Now Assist and the recently launched Creator Studio equip every employee, regardless of technical skills, from IT professionals at Fortune 500 organizations to operations managers in manufacturing. Integrated within the Now Platform, these tools simplify the entire app development process and accelerate the deployment of enterprise solutions – all on the same platform as highcode developers. This democratization of “creation” boosts productivity and governance across organizations, paving the way for smarter and faster operations.” – Jithin Bhasker, general manager and vice president for the App Engine business at ServiceNow.

What’s next in gen AI for low-code and no-code

Much of the first wave of low-code and no-code gen AI capabilities focused on developing applications using natural language and providing prompt capabilities to end-users. I expect this to continue while top platforms will consider deploying gen AI capabilities to new end-user personas.

I have a list of these capabilities. Contact me if you are interested in what features to look for and what capabilities low-code / no-code platforms should add to their roadmaps.