'Modernizing a COBOL system once required armies of consultants spending years mapping workflows... AI changes this': Anthropic says AI could help keep COBOL running for a long time to come — but IBM won't be happy
Summary
Engineers are leveraging AI to modernize complex COBOL systems, enhancing efficiency through automated code analysis, testing, and incremental implementation, ensuring these legacy systems remain operational for the long term.
Key Insights
What is COBOL and why is it still used today?
COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) is a programming language developed in 1959 for business applications, still powering mission-critical systems in banking, insurance, and government due to its reliability with vast codebases and fewer experts available.
How does AI change the process of modernizing COBOL systems?
AI automates mapping dependencies, documenting workflows, identifying risks, and translating code incrementally, reducing modernization from years to quarters by streamlining analysis and implementation while allowing legacy and modern code to run side-by-side.
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