Python is Taking Over Low-Code in Automation

For years, enterprise automation has been spearheaded by tools such as UiPath, with their rise to prominence being shaped around the concept of “a bot for every employee”. The growth of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) started with the promise of Citizen Developers and the idea that anyone could create a bot to automate monotonous work. However, half a decade after the initial buzz, it’s clear that citizen development on low-code automation tools didn’t quite hit the mark.

The Promises and Pitfalls of Low-Code Tools

This shortfall is primarily because building bots is an order of magnitude more complex than using API-based no-code tools like Zapier and Workato. Bots are capable of performing the same actions as human users on almost any application and can even go beyond human abilities by incorporating AI-based skills into their workflows. However, crafting robust bots that can manage enterprise workloads is a task better suited to professional automation developers.

So why do we continue to build bots with costly and constrained low-code tools? We know that many automation developers supplement their low-code with coded solutions. Even UiPath recognizes this trend by introducing coded automation to its product line-up.

The Emergence of Generative AI

This year, Generative AI has made a substantial impact on the scene. Every low-code tool incorporates some form of Generative AI, but we can see that the future of bots is set to deviate from the current path. Bots were never a perfect match for low-code tools. This association was mainly established for marketing purposes and to make the process seem simpler than it truly is. While low-code bot studios can create impressive demos with their UI recorders, they struggle with operations and scaling in the real world.

Low-code was essentially a response to a shortage of automation talent. Now, Generative AI is addressing that need within the Python world. Some low-code advocates might argue that Python doesn’t offer the same capabilities as low-code, but this claim is fundamentally incorrect.

The Python-Based Future: Introducing Robocorp

Robocorp started as a code-native bot ecosystem, leveraging Python, the language of AI and automation. Robocorp offers developer tools and operational platforms that elevate Python bots well beyond what traditional low-code RPA can achieve. Additionally, they do this far more quickly regarding bot development and performance, with only a fraction of the licensing and IT infrastructure cost.

Robocorp’s Control Room is an enterprise-grade orchestration platform for managing bots, and their data flows, complete with logging, troubleshooting, and auditing capabilities. It also has a full API that can be integrated with any iPaaS and BPM tool. And with consumption-based pricing, the days of bot licenses are numbered.

The Efficacy of Python in Bot Development

But what about the skills required to build bots? Isn’t Python more complex and slower to work with? Generative AI has flipped this narrative, positioning Python as the preferable choice. Large language models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Meta’s recently announced Llama 2 can write Python code fluently. And with the latest addition of a Code Interpreter, users can write the code they need and run it in a single prompt.

On top of general-purpose AI tools, Robocorp has announced ReMark💬, an AI-powered developer assistant that’s free for all its users. It can answer specific automation questions and generate code in seconds so that no one has to start building from scratch anymore.

ReMark tool has been great and has made me really efficient at my coding. Something that used to take me 1 hour to do now takes me 10-15 minutes. – Robocorp Partner– Robocorp Partner

The Python ecosystem is extensive and continuously expanding. Almost every function conceivable has a Python library dedicated to it, and every large language model can write Python code. It’s time to acknowledge that bots were never meant to be built on low-code, and to embrace Python as the superior automation ecosystem it has proven itself to be.

Embracing the Change: The Future of Automation

In conclusion, Python-based automation is here, and it’s set to change the landscape. The future of automation is not confined to low-code tools; it’s heading towards a more efficient and scalable solution, with Python at its core and powered by Generative AI. It’s time to embrace this change!

Check out the video below to learn more about the latest in Generative AI and Robocorp.