Microsoft recently announced a workflow assistant for Logic Apps (standard), the company’s integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) offering in public preview. With the assistant, developers have a chat interface that provides access to Azure Logic Apps documentation and best practices without requiring them to navigate documentation or search online forums.
The workflow assistant is another enhancement the Logic App product team made for Logic Apps next to the general availability of .NET custom code support, application insights support, and the data mapper. These enhancements are all for the standard version of Logic Apps, the tier that allows developers to run workflows anywhere.
The workflow assistant uses Azure Open AI and ChatGPT to query diverse knowledge sources related to Azure Logic Apps, delivering curated information to the workflow a developer builds. The results of the queries are processed into a vectorized format and are then accessible through a backend system built on top of Azure App Service.
Divya Swarnkar, a program manager on the Logic Apps team at Microsoft, writes:
When you provide an input prompt, the Azure Logic Apps backend performs pre-processing and forwards the prompt to an Azure Open AI large language model. This model generates responses based on the given context (in the form of workflow JSON) and your prompt.
The company recommends using the workflow assistant when choosing a connector or action, given the 1000+ available connectors, describing the workflow when collaborating with other developers or looking for the best way to build a workflow.
Swarnkar told InfoQ:
At the core of our mission is boosting developer productivity, and AI is our key ally in achieving this. Our latest release, Workflow Assistant, is designed to empower users to integrate AI into their workflows seamlessly. It offers innovation and a bridge to discover product help, best practices, standard patterns, and the creation of optimal applications.
Workflow Assistant (Source: Microsoft Learn)
One of Microsoft's competitors in the iPaaS space is Google, which recently launched the Application Integration Service, which was later integrated with Duet AI. The Duet AI in Application Integration can create integration flows from requirements described in the natural language provided in the service through an interface. In addition, Duet AI can create a default data mapping within the integration flow that connects the two applications based on the variables created in the integration flow and the integrated applications.
When asked by InfoQ what Microsoft sees going forward with workflow assistant, Swarnkar said:
The vast possibilities AI opens are fueled by customer feedback and real-world problem-solving. In the pipeline is the introduction of workflow documentation through our workflow assistant. AI's potential to add value across all stages of application development—from creation and deployment to testing and monitoring—is immense, and customer feedback will guide our investments.
Lastly, more details on the workflow assistant in Logic Apps (standard) are available on the documentation pages.