The artificial intelligence (AI) hype has yet to fade. As the technology continues to make headlines, attention is focused on the impact and value AI could deliver for teams, companies and the wider industry.
One of the main questions for those in software development is: Can AI replace human coders?
Despite impressive strides in AI-driven tools, human developers remain essential —though their role is evolving.
Today, 34% of IT leaders report that their organizations use AI-assisted coding extensively, according to The Low-Code Perspective. Meanwhile, nearly half the respondents(47%) are in the experimental phase.
Low-code platforms and AI advancements are creating new opportunities and responsibilities for those involved. Yet, understanding how to make the most from AI-powered low-code requires clarity on the skills and expectations needed from employees.
Let’s take a closer look at the future of application development in this new era of AI — from training teams to navigating stakeholder involvement.
AI Won’t Replace Developers; It Will Help Evolve Their Role
Generative AI (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT and Copilot, are currently being used to suggest code snippets, troubleshoot errors and even complete functional code blocks based on prompts.
The role of GenAI in application development is to automate repetitive tasks and reduce low-value activity, but the technology is quickly evolving.
Soon, we could start seeing GenAI work as a co-worker alongside developers. For example, instead of crafting a data model manually, GenAI could assess a requirements document, an existing data schema or an idea formulated in natural language and populate a data model that can then be validated by a developer. The same applies to the generation of user interfaces: Rather than developing UIs from scratch, developers can upload designs or even low-fidelity drawings from a whiteboard session and generate pages that can then be refined.
For some, the productivity benefits of GenAI, as it continues to evolve, pose a question as to whether there is still room for low-code in the future.
Visual development, such as low-code, provides an arena that is not often available to organizations, as it enables people from multiple disciplines to build applications in an environment where everyone understands what’s going on behind the scenes. Not only does GenAI facilitate visual development at pace, but it also increases the speed of the entire development lifecycle when applied to a low-code platform.
AI-assisted low-code paired with skilled developers can unearth significant benefits. Of those surveyed, 85% believe combining AI and low-code would help their organization innovate faster. And 82% say it helps their organization innovate at scale.
Eventually, we will likely see the role of the developer become more of a composer, overseeing the work completed autonomously by virtual software agents. Developers will focus on the management and correction of applications rather than the heavy lifting.
Unlike AI, human expertise can handle nuances to create purpose-driven applications. For instance, understanding user requirements, anticipating potential system failures and integration with existing IT assets are just a few areas where human developers will remain critical. So, as we continue to integrate the technology into application development, it won’t eliminate the need for skilled coders — it will reshape it.
Stakeholder Support for AI is the Next Big Hurdle
We uncovered that a massive 84% of IT leaders say low-code empowers more people to be involved in app development. Yet, 41% report their C-suite lacks the technical knowledge to understand the potential of low-code for their organizations.
Navigating stakeholders is an ongoing consideration for technical teams, whether that is securing buy-in for vital technologies or unlocking future funds to fulfil the development roadmap. Yet, IT leaders are unearthing tension between their goals and those of their stakeholders.
This is concerning, considering that IT leaders report their chief operating officer (COO) as the topmost involved member of the C-suite when making decisions about low-code adoption. And the chief executive officer (CEO) is second.
As non-technical C-suite stakeholders become increasingly important decision-makers in IT capital expenditures and programs, continued conversations between these two stakeholder groups will help create a fuller understanding of low-code benefits.
In the pursuit of easy-to-use applications, businesses can mistakenly assume that low-code and AI tools eliminate the need for technical knowledge altogether — a fear that nearly two in five IT leaders share, with 39% believing their non-technical C-suite wants to use low-code to replace developer talent.
As the lines blur between non-technical and technical leaders in the IT space, goals must be aligned, with the right people in place, so everyone is on the same page for technology investments to be effective.
The Future of AI and Low-Code is Collaborative
Low-code platforms are already facilitating app creation by less technical developers, while AI tools are making coding faster and more efficient. There is a future on the horizon where low-code and AI operate in tandem, allowing developers and stakeholders to collaboratively design and deploy applications.
But the AI skills gap is widening, and today’s developers are expected to keep up. AI, used in conjunction with a powerful enterprise-grade low-code platform, holds significant potential to help bridge this gap when harnessed accessibly for smarter, faster development.
Ultimately, committing to improving productivity and enhancing developer experience is vital for businesses to stay competitive, and that means providing teams with the right tools to make development faster and more efficient. That way, tech teams can focus more on collaborating with the wider organization and problem-solving with accessible tools at the ready.
As organizations move forward, it will be essential to foster collaboration, ensure clarity in roles and encourage ongoing learning.
The true potential of AI and low-code is not in replacing coders but in empowering them. It not only accelerates development but also enables stakeholders to contribute more directly while helping organizations adapt dynamically in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.