Developers who adopt an AI-first mindfulness will run circles around their colleagues.
Today, this is not something most SmartSuite solution makers need to be concerned with, but very soon (I predict), it will matter more often than you think.
Example
You need to build a custom function that converts numbers to words. The ability to do this matters in contracts, checks, etc. For example...
The algorithm required to do this well is not as simple as you might first think. This Coda developer demonstrates the complexities. And while his approach is clever, it only handles integers and it doesn't consider the likely impact (on some conversations) of the infamous Java floating point "bug".
In any case, an AI-first mentality helps developers avoid the complexities and energy required to codify everything. At some point, we need to get off the code-it-all merry-go-round. In the pre-dawn hours of a likely and eventual low-code capability in SmartSuite, I can picture a lot of code being written because we can, not because we should.
I hope that more pervasive AI features will soon emerge in SmartSuite, and with that, I will be a big cheerleader for AI-first, no-code implementations of what could otherwise be very complex scripts. I might even grab some pom-poms and wear a flip skirt to help no-codeists avoid code.
My solution to the very complex design put forth above is a simple AI prompt. This is Coda. I anticipate (and have high hopes for) similar capabilities with SmartSuite.
Take specific note of the introduction of column values, where I use a formula to introduce data on the current row into the AI prompt. This makes the integration and maintenance of generative AI features a delightful experience. I can dynamically blend my data with the LLM seamlessly and effortlessly.
The code route is costly; the no-code (AI) route is far more efficient. It is not ideal in every solution challenge, but when it is ideal, it pays big dividends in cash and time. And then, many things become possible. Do not underestimate the agility of AI as an extension and ally in no-code development.
The future of database and workflow systems with generative AI is bright, and deterministic features are within reach. We need to be precise about implementing these future features, but it all begins with an AI-first mentality.