Oracle Launches AI Assistant to Enhance Apex Low-Code Development Platform

Oracle has unveiled a groundbreaking AI-powered assistant designed to accelerate application development by allowing developers to utilize natural language commands. This innovative feature is integrated into the Apex low-code development platform, streamlining the process of creating data-driven enterprise applications.

With this AI assistant, users can interact with the chatbot through straightforward text prompts. For instance, developers can request the generation of SQL statements or debugging solutions for both new and existing applications without needing to memorize complex coding syntax or table names. A simple prompt such as, "List all customers who made a purchase over $500 in the last 30 days and live in California,” will yield the required information seamlessly.

“Having an AI assistant that can determine column names contextually, manage code joins, and produce complex syntax is a game changer,” stated Mike Hichwa, Oracle’s Senior Vice President for Software Development. “Best of all, I can use plain natural language, and the Apex AI Assistant will handle the automation for me.”

This new feature is designed to liberate developers from routine coding tasks, enhancing productivity and efficiency. The Apex platform, which has already facilitated the creation of over 21 million applications, is offered at no additional cost to customers using Oracle's database services. The AI assistant is part of the Apex platform's 24.1 update.

Furthermore, the latest update allows developers to choose from a selection of large language models to power their applications’ conversational interfaces, providing flexible options tailored to different needs.

Notable Oracle customers utilizing the Apex platform include Trailcon, which efficiently manages trailer fleets across North America, and Natcorp, a provider of HR management solutions in Brazil. Giovanni Cani, Trailcon’s Vice President for IT Delivery, highlighted the impact of this technology: "We can process over 3,000 invoices every month with an 87% accuracy rate. Oracle Apex and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure empower our IT Solutions team to remain agile while delivering reliable data services to our customers."

Igor Sala, Natcorp's Head of Technology and Innovation, emphasized the time-saving advantages of integrating Apex with AI: “Our solution serves more than 600,000 users in Brazil. The combination of Apex and AI significantly accelerates our processes—customers can simply ask questions within the Apex app and receive immediate answers.”

Oracle's latest advancements promise to redefine application development, making it more intuitive and efficient through the power of AI. By harnessing natural language processing, developers can enhance their productivity and focus more on innovation rather than routine coding tasks.