Guest article by Noel Carroll, University of Galway, Associate Professor in Business Information Systems at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics. Introduction In the world of application development, the traditional approach has always been to rely on code to build software applications. However, recent advances in technology have led to new ways of developing applications that do not require coding. No-code platforms have emerged as a solution to this problem, allowing individuals with no programming experience to build functional applications. In addition, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with no-code platforms has paved the way for a new era of app development and fuelling the growth of Citizen Development. No-Code and AI: Is This The Future of App Development? There are some examples for organisations considering the use of Citizen Development and to successfully digitally transform its organization and operations that produce significant benefits. But more recently, there is growing excitement as to what is happening in this intersection of no-code and AI and how it is shaping the future of app development. Benefits of using AI-powered No-Code Platforms No-code platforms have become increasingly popular in recent years due to the many benefits they offer. The benefits of using AI-powered no-code platforms help to reduce the time, training, and resources required to develop an app – and in many cases, reduces the demand on IT departments. Below are some of the main benefits we see throughout our research at the Citizen Development Lab: Faster development time One of the key benefits of using AI-powered no-code platforms is the ability to speed up the development process. Traditional app development requires developers to write code from scratch, which can be time consuming and labour intensive. However, no-code platforms provide pre-built components that can be customised to the needs of the application. By integrating AI, these platforms can automate many of the repetitive tasks involved in app development, such as data entry, testing and debugging. This approach can significantly reduce the time it takes to develop an app, enabling businesses to get their products to market faster. The ability to speed up the development process, often described as hyper- agility is considered to be a gamechanger. Traditional application development requires developers to write code from scratch, which can be time consuming and labour intensive. However, no-code platforms provide pre-built components that can be customised to meet the needs of the application. This approach can significantly reduce the time it takes to develop an application, allowing companies to get their products to market faster. Removing the need for coding expertise One of the key benefits of no-code platforms is that they remove the need for technical expertise in coding, which can be a significant barrier for people without a programming background. Instead, no-code platforms provide a visual interface that allows users to drag and drop elements to build their applications. This approach not only saves time, but also empowers non-technical users to take control of their app development process. Integrating AI with no-code platforms Several no-code platforms have integrated AI capabilities into their offerings, allowing users to take advantage of the benefits of AI without any technical expertise. Many platforms provide users with a drag-and-drop interface for building web and mobile applications. No- code platform increasingly have built-in AI capabilities, including natural language processing and image recognition, which can be used to build intelligent applications. In addition, many no-code platforms have built-in AI-powered chatbots that can be used to automate customer support and improve user engagement. The integration of AI with no- code platforms is a game changer for the app development industry. AI algorithms can help stre...