Using voice to create applications is the next evolution of low-code software development, but it has many challenges to overcome. Voice-based development can make it easier for users with less experience to create code and help fill the talent void. Is voice-driven software development the next pioneer in low code, or is it all talk? Read on to find out.
As low-code development software continues to grow, one way to make it even easier is by using voice to create applications. Voice can become an important interface to engage with low-code platforms in addition to the standard way of users building applications through drag and drop functions.
While professional software development has been talking about voice-based development for at least a decade, it hasn’t taken hold at the rate expected and still has a long way to go. Attempts have been made to create voice-based enterprise workflows using devices such as Alexa. However, these are voice “triggered” and not voice “developed.”
Voice-based software development hasn’t worked in the mainstream. Why would it work in low code?
Low-code development is full of challenges around aligning requirements and outcomes, security, debugging, portability, building complex functionalities, etc. Therefore, adding a voice layer to engage will be an obstacle in low code.
Software development through voice is an exciting area, and firms like Talon, Nuance (Dragon), and Serenade have attempted to incorporate voice-based software development. OpenAI Codex-based CodeVox also has tried to build software using voice as input.
The challenges with voice-driven software development are well documented and include speech recognition, interpretation, Integrated Development Environment (IDE) support, programming language support, formats, and building the actual code.
Moreover, professional developers do not generally like the idea of coding through voice because they believe they think and type faster than they speak. Therefore, non-professional developers and business users – the key targets for low-code software – become good audiences for enhanced value.
Despite the difficulties, voice can add meaningful benefits if done well in low-code applications and can further increase the user pool who are comfortable in building business line or workflow apps to start with.
Few, if any, low-code vendors today are providing voice-based development support because the industry does not have a strong AI-led base platform to incorporate such complex functionality.
As the market matures and low-code demand scales, enterprises and vendors will soon realize they will need to further simplify low-code application development beyond the current drag and drop model. If they don’t, low code will meet the same fate as professional development, where costs are astronomical, timelines are longer, and talent is scarce.
The big issues around the need for more software, lack of talent, rising costs, and poor time to market are not going anywhere and, in fact, will worsen in the future. While low-code platforms are an attempt to address some of these hurdles, the current model is not sustainable. Voice must become an integral part of low-code development for it to succeed.
For more information on the low-code software development market, see Everest Group’s research on Next Normal for Application Development and our assessment of leading vendors offering low-code software development platforms.
What do you think about voice-based low-code software development? Please let me know at [email protected].
You can also learn about emerging technologies in our webinar, Web 3.0 and Metaverse: Implications for Sourcing and Technology Leaders.
