IT democratisation is transforming Asia Pacific’s (Apac) business landscape, challenging the notion that programming is solely the domain of professional software engineers and developers. According to IDC, 41% of organisations in Apac (excluding Japan) are increasingly assigning developer responsibilities to non-IT staff to bridge skill gaps within their companies.
This shift is largely driven by the proliferation of low-code and no-code platforms, which enable professionals with minimal coding experience to be involved in application development.
Using low-code, non-traditional developers – or citizen developers – are able to draw on their domain expertise and familiarity with business challenges to create applications that are highly tailored to specific contexts. New innovations today are even empowering citizen developers in a new way, so they no longer need to invent automation from scratch. With AI-powered autopilots effectively handling data normalisation for automated downstream processes, citizen developers can now dedicate more time to optimising and customising existing workflows in organisations. This shift not only boosts productivity but also fosters greater innovation in process management, enabling citizen developers to leverage their insights and expertise to tailor systems to evolving business needs.
Beyond reducing entry barriers for non-traditional developers, the new tools enhance their capability to identify and automate inefficiencies. For instance, Agentic Automation – where systems function as autonomous 'agents' through a synergy of AI and automation – enhances decision-making and streamlines interactions across digital environments. This not only promises to save thousands of work hours and create substantial value for organisations, but also holds the transformative power to enrich the employee experience for both developers and their colleagues.
As programming skills become less critical compared to a profound understanding of technology capabilities, one question arises: how can citizen developers effectively collaborate with AI-powered autopilots to swiftly automate tasks and achieve optimal outcomes in the new age of AI?
Enabling the broader workforce to innovate
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The integration of AI and automation not only enhances productivity but also enables a broader range of individuals to automate work quickly using natural language. In Singapore, for instance, 60% of workers are already using generative AI to reduce burnout and save time on tasks based on a recent UiPath survey. This evolution signifies a move towards a more inclusive approach to innovation, where leveraging technology to address business challenges becomes a fundamental skill across all roles and functions.
At the same time, engaging citizen developers lightens the workload for IT departments and frees the latter to focus on more value-adding tasks that directly impact outcomes at the line of business level while elevating the IT function in the long run. With a lighter workload in IT departments, organisations can allocate more resources to continuous learning and upskilling in new areas of AI and AI-powered tools to ensure citizen developer programmes remain relevant.
By leveraging natural language processing and AI, citizen developers can create complex automations, write code, and generate expressions with unprecedented ease. Platforms equipped with Generative AI can facilitate the creation of workflows, automations, and automation-powered applications directly from diverse data sources.
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New autopilots can even integrate with app-specific copilots, empowering citizen developers to execute tasks based on specific business rules and application requirements to mirror natural human workflows. Meanwhile, text-to-workflow capabilities allow these developers to articulate automation ideas in natural language, so autopilots can generate the initial workflows. Instead of having to memorise intricate syntax and structure, citizen developers can just articulate their needs in natural language and let AI craft precise expressions. The capability to convert natural language descriptions directly into executable code helps streamline automation projects and accelerate deployment timelines. These functionalities translate to accelerated innovation cycles, enhanced operational efficiencies, and improved agility within the organisation.
Adopting AI-powered autopilots, however, should still be grounded in responsible AI practices to ensure ethical deployment and mitigate potential risks such as AI bias and hallucinations. As citizen developers often have varying levels of technical expertise, responsible AI frameworks provide essential guidance on transparency, fairness, and accountability in automation projects. This helps promote trust among stakeholders, ensures that AI technologies are used responsibly to benefit both the organisation and broader society, and contributes to sustainable digital transformation.
Creating a culture of collaboration and experimentation
To facilitate the rise of citizen developers, the onus is on organisations to invest in upskilling programmes that impart technical know-how while also driving a deeper understanding of the potential and limitations of AI and automation. After all, citizen developers need to be equipped with the right tools and training to effectively leverage AI and automation to drive tangible outcomes. Centres of excellence (CoEs) play a crucial role in citizen developer programmes, offering ongoing guidance, answering questions, and sharing valuable tips even after citizen developers complete their initial training. It is likewise critical that citizen developer programmes shift the focus from sporadic projects to an iterative, 'test-and-learn' approach that fosters continuous improvement and drives actual business impact.
It is encouraging to see that organisations such as IHH Healthcare
Creating an environment where citizen developers are encouraged to explore AI-driven solutions in real-world scenarios, iterate based on feedback, and continuously refine their approaches helps improve business workflows and accelerates digital transformation. This iterative process not only enhances the applications created by these citizen developers but also fosters a culture of innovation within the organisation.
Ultimately, a robust citizen developer programme can act as a catalyst for fostering innovative thinking throughout the entire enterprise. By bringing together domain experts from various functions, it can spark collaborations that could potentially enhance business operations and cultivate a community of like-minded innovators dedicated to advancing the organisation through AI at work.
Jared Danaraj is the vice president of Sales and Solutions Engineering for Asia Pacific and Japan at UiPath
