Insights | Propel Ventures

Empowering Software Engineers with Generative AI: The Rise of Internal Developer Platforms

Written by Ben Ross | Propel Ventures Co-Founder | May 30, 2024 7:37:40 AM

In today’s fast-paced tech world, generative AI is revolutionising how companies develop and deploy software. Many of our larger clients, including leading listed companies, are using generative AI to power internal developer platforms. These platforms are making their software engineers and data workers much more efficient and effective.

I started off my product management career at Intuit, so have kept a close eye on their product progress and have taken a close interest in Intuit's GenOS internal product, a proprietary operating system designed to integrate generative AI across their product teams.

GenOS addresses a big challenge: making generative AI widely accessible while ensuring it’s safely and responsibly integrated into applications on the Intuit platform.

Many of our larger clients, including leading listed companies, are trying to use generative AI and looking into creation of internal developer platforms. These platforms are making their software engineers and data workers much more efficient and effective.

What is Intuit's GenOS?

GenOS is essentially an operating system because it brings together the essential components for developing and deploying generative AI experiences at scale like having a set of pre-built lego blocks so developers can re-use pieces of AI infrastructure. Here are some of its key features:

  1. Flexible Framework: Offers developers a structure for user interactions and rendering.
  2. Resource Management: A runtime environment that efficiently handles the resources needed to run applications.
  3. Services Suite: Includes components like a planner (similar to a scheduler), short-term memory, and long-term storage.
  4. LLMs and Domain-Specific Capabilities: Integrates large language models and a pluggable ecosystem for domain-specific functionalities.
  5. Access Controls: Role-based and use-case-based access controls to ensure the right level of access.

Monitoring and Governance: Built-in tools for monitoring, governance, and cost management, so teams don’t have to build these themselves.


Source: https://medium.com/intuit-engineering/how-to-accelerate-development-velocity-in-the-genai-era-build-a-genos-e71ac2e17b82

 

The Need for GenOS

GenOS was created to provide a single, streamlined path for developing generative AI applications. This approach makes development smoother, institutionalises organisational knowledge, and offers valuable shortcuts, so teams don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.

Tackling Key Challenges with GenOS

  1. Speeding Up Product Development: GenOS accelerates product development and scales it across the company, ensuring rapid and consistent AI implementation.

  2. Incorporating Domain Knowledge: Off-the-shelf large language models (LLMs) are great, but they lack Intuit’s domain knowledge. GenOS tackles this by incorporating techniques like retrieval-augmented generation and grounding prompts with domain-specific capabilities. This means teams can simply plug in their domain knowledge into GenOS and get to work.

  3. Ensuring Responsible AI and Data Governance: Intuit's principles for responsible AI and data governance are built into GenOS. This ensures all teams follow these standards without having to manage them separately, providing consistency and peace of mind.

Propel Ventures' Expertise

At Propel Ventures, we have deep experience in developing strategies for these generative AI operating systems and their components. Here’s how we help:

  • Strategic Planning: We work with clients to develop comprehensive strategies for integrating generative AI into their platforms.
  • Component Development: Our team builds the critical components that make up these AI systems, ensuring they are robust and scalable.
  • Governance and Compliance: We set up solid governance frameworks to ensure safe and responsible AI use.
  • Custom Solutions: We tailor our solutions to meet the specific needs of our clients, helping them leverage AI to its fullest potential.

Investing in generative AI operating systems like GenOS is a smart move. It empowers software engineers and data workers, fosters innovation, and speeds up AI initiatives across the organisation.

Conclusion

Generative AI is changing the software development game, and internal developer platforms like GenOS are leading this charge. By providing a solid and scalable framework, these platforms help companies integrate AI into their applications safely and efficiently. At Propel Ventures, we’re excited to support our clients on this journey, helping them make the most of generative AI.