AWS unveils generative AI app development feature in Amazon Q

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Dive Brief:

  • AWS launched Amazon Q Apps, a feature of its generative AI coding tool that allows workers to create applications using natural language prompts, the company said Wednesday. 
  • During the preview stages, users leveraged the tool to create applications that generated onboarding plans, drafted memos and summarized feedback, the company said. 
  • AWS also released App Studio in preview, a tool with similar capabilities as Amazon Q Apps but focused on IT workers and software developers.  

Dive Insight:

Hyperscalers and SaaS providers have released tools that aim to simplify, speed up and democratize software development through AI. 

AWS has honed its focus on three layers of customer adoption: foundation model development, customization of existing models with internal data and generative AI-powered tools, such as Amazon Q. 

The hyperscaler continues to expand its training offerings meant to speed up the adoption of its platform and tools, releasing step-by-step guides for Amazon Q’s capabilities to save workers time and lower the cognitive load earlier this month.

“Amazon Q is one of the most ambitious product portfolios in the AI marketplace,” Robert Garmaise, VP of AI research at Info-Tech Research Group, said in an email. The latest additions to the platform reinforce AWS’ goal of transforming app development, according to Garmaise.

While generative AI is poised to impact many roles, software development jobs have the highest potential exposure, according to a September Indeed survey. Most companies want developers to see the technology as one tool in their well-stocked belt, and CIOs have a role to play in helping them get there. 

Developers often credit confusion and skepticism of AI to a lack of training and usage guidance. Security problems, transparency gaps and immature technical foundations also give cause for pause.

AI isn’t ubiquitous in software development quite yet, but that could be changing soon. Gartner predicts three-quarters of software engineers will use coding assistants by 2028, according to research published in April. 

Tools that ease the development process, such as Amazon Q Apps, will likely also broaden the capabilities of citizen developers. Enterprises will need to assess citizen developer initiatives to ensure responsible use and oversight remains.