DEVOPSdigest

As part of the 2024 DevOps Predictions list, DEVOPSdigest asked industry experts how they think Low-Code and No-Code will evolve and impact development in 2024.

Low code dominates software development in 2024

In 2024, low-code/no-code tools will dominate software development as they bring the power of app development to users across the business. The rise of "citizen developers" has proven that as we move toward a no-code future, people without coding experience are changing the working world. As tech companies adopt low-code/no-code tools, they'll save time and money, rather than falling behind early adopters.
Jason Beres
SVP Developer Tools, Infragistics(link is external)

There are parallels between AI and low code use cases and adoptions. AI is helping organizations and individuals to analyze, interpret and manage massive data sets, as well as create initial drafts of content, find answers to questions and interpret medical images such as x-rays. Across all use cases, AI is skyrocketing. Similarly, low code removes much of the burden of writing actual code: It takes much less time to provide high-level direction, which low-code systems convert to code. This is similar to the ways generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E, save time producing text or images based on high-level direction. As organizations look to expand software development to citizen developers to increase productivity and agility, and to free developers to focus more on system design and architecture and less on coding, low code enables such initiatives. Therefore, we expect the use of low code will also increase in 2024.
Peter Kreslins
CTO, Digibee(link is external)

IT departments everywhere will continue to attempt to do more with less in 2024. Wasted team time equals lower outputs and profits, so time spent manually monitoring and troubleshooting code will cost organizations valuable resources that could otherwise be spent elsewhere. No-code/low-code tools allow both skilled developers and non-technical workers to devote time building high quality applications. These solutions provide the opportunity to reduce the learning curve for new testers while also increasing tester ability to focus on more strategic tasks. That's why we expect to see greater adoption of these technologies in the next year and beyond.
Mav Turner
CTO of DevOps, Tricentis(link is external)

Low-Code/No Code Democratizes Development

Low Code/No Code will redefine how applications are developed in 2024, democratizing the creation process. Advanced AI-driven automation will empower users with limited coding expertise to build complex, scalable applications effortlessly. Collaboration between professional and citizen developers will reach new heights, fostering innovation and agility. Low-code/no-code platforms will evolve to handle intricate business logic and integrate seamlessly with emerging technologies. It will mark a turning point where these platforms become the cornerstone of digital transformation, accelerating app development and empowering a broader spectrum of individuals to contribute to the innovation landscape.
Venkatesh Kovuri
EVP, Cigniti Technologies(link is external)

The year 2024 will mark the era of democratized programming, courtesy of Low Code/No Code platforms. As these platforms mature, we'll see an influx of citizen developers who'll bring diverse perspectives to problem-solving, significantly accelerating innovation in every sector they touch. SDKs will evolve to become the backbone of these platforms, offering robustness with simplicity.
Hadi Chami
Developer Advocate & Manager, LEADTOOLS(link is external)

Goodbye Citizen Developer, Hello Business Developer

Citizen developers have long been touted as the answer to the IT talent shortage. However, the rapid growth of AI-powered solutions is fueling a new generation of business developers. These domain experts will increasingly be involved in the SDLC as they understand the goals and operations of the enterprise. This will give rise to a new wave of no-code systems that enable business users to define goals and then have AI technology close the gap. The operational knowledge ensures that the software meets the specific needs of the organization and mitigates the risk.
Dan Krantz
CIO, Keysight Technologies(link is external)

LOW-CODE INTEGRATES WITH GENAI CODE GENERATION

Low-code is already a boon to developers and DevOps teams, streamlining key development processes while accelerating innovation timetables. But in 2024, the effects of integrating low-code strategies with generative AI code-generation LLMs will arrive (and continue to mature quickly). The impact on productivity will be transformative, with low-code code-generation tools achieving ever-greater code usefulness and functionality. The result will be unprecedented efficiency for developers and DevOps teams, and a market environment where organizations equipped with low-code-plus-genAI coding capabilities will absolutely lap competitors still relying on more traditional dev strategies.
Shomron Jacob
Engineering Manager — Applied Machine Learning, Iterate.ai(link is external)

Emergence of Low Code Builders

In 2024, the role of "Low Code Builders" is projected to gain prominence, driven by the integration of AI into low-code platforms. Despite the simplification brought about by low code, it doesn't eliminate the necessity for planning, control, oversight, and cost management in app development. Traditional management and governance principles remain essential. Low Code Builders will be instrumental in verifying the accuracy of AI-generated content within the low-code environment. The limitations of AI in understanding unstructured data highlight the significance of these roles, as they will ensure the quality and precision of AI-produced content. Consequently, 2024 is expected to see a surge in AI-related jobs and a shift in quality assurance practices throughout the tech industry. This shift is propelled by the need to uphold quality, security, and compliance in AI-enhanced low-code applications. Low Code Builders will lead this transformation, maintaining the highest standards of performance and reliability.
Anthony Abdulla
Senior Director, Product Marketing, Intelligent Automation, Pega(link is external)

AI BOTS REPLACE LOW-CODE DEVELOPMENT

AI bots are poised to take on countless tasks that are currently performed by users within the realm of low-code development. Right now, low-code platforms require users to learn specific tools that use drag-and-drop interfaces to accomplish tasks, such as build applications, create and map integrations, and automate workflows. Yet, with the availability and growth of AI, there is a forthcoming shift towards greater simplification by incorporating AI bots. Going forward, this evolution will result in more companies adopting bots or leveraging AI to execute similar tasks such as constructing applications, managing integrations, and automating processes, but with a notable transition from the traditional low-code interfaces to Natural Language (NL) interfaces. In essence, technology is moving towards increased user-friendliness, enabling non-technical individuals to create automation using natural language. With this continuous evolution of AI-driven capabilities, adoption rates will rise, leading to improved ROI.
Manoj Chaudhary
CTO and SVP, Jitterbit(link is external)

LLM will not replace low code — AI will push existing low-code solutions to do even more

Looking ahead to next year, some low-code vendors have proposed putting AI to work generating code as a means of fixing gaps in their platforms. The results will likely be less robust applications, higher technical debt, and greater cost and risk to clients. Rather than having AI generate massive amounts of flawed custom code, and creating apps that will only get worse over time, 2024 is the year we will set our sites on super-powering low-code solutions with AI. We'll see AI making low-code platforms even more intuitive, lowering the bar for business users to create their own intelligent business processes and pushing citizen development further than ever before.
Anthony Abdulla
Senior Director, Product Marketing, Intelligent Automation, Pega(link is external)

RANGE OF PLATFORMS ADOPT LOW-CODE/NO-CODE PRINCIPLES

Standalone low-code and no-code platforms will become an increasingly small part of the low-code/no-code landscape, as a wide range of different types of platforms will adopt low-code/no-code principles. For example, data engineering, MLOps, edge computing, automated testing, and many other technologies will include low-code/no-code interfaces for quick, straightforward functionality creation.
Jason Bloomberg
President, Intellyx(link is external)