Appian has released the latest version of its Appian Platform 24.3. This release adds new support for Enterprise AI use cases from process automation to application building. The AI is delivered through a range of new AI Copilots. The company also claims that it will help customers prepare for current and future AI regulations around the world.
Sanat Joshi, Executive Vice President of Product and Solutions at Appian, said, “Appian AI Copilot empowers users to explore and understand their enterprise data more effectively, using natural language and fewer steps.
”Now, you can ask AI Copilot questions about your entire data catalog, providing comprehensive insights and enabling more informed decision-making.”
What is in Appian Platform 24.3?
This update touches every aspect of the Appian Platform, making it a major release. The focus is unashamedly on embedding AI capability to speed up performance, find data, and deliver new applications built on top of Appian. Just as importantly, Appian says it will help further integrate people, technology and data into a cohesive system.
The key items that Appian has called out are:
- AI Copilot for data fabric: This is available as a preview version in this release. It allows users to ask questions about the entire data catalogue. All responses cite the source data from the data fabric, allowing users to verify the accuracy of the response.
- Enterprise Copilot: It has a new All Knowledge Sets option, which allows users to ask questions without knowing what knowledge sets exist. This makes it easier for users to get a broad response, which they can later refine by asking questions against specific knowledge sets.
- Process HQ with AI-suggested starting points: This is about accelerating the move from raw data to insights. The AI-powered view generation suggests views showing user KPIs, process details, and filters. It speeds up responses and allows users to refine their questions to get the necessary answers.
- AI Copilot in Case Management Studio: 24.3 continues the enhancement of Case Management Studio. The AI Copilot will now help users build case management apps. It adds data modelling tools and new data fields. The latter lets the user describe the data they want to capture, and the AI Copilot recommends the data type.
- AI Copilot for developers: Released as a preview in an earlier version, this is now a full release. It makes it easier for developers to generate test cases for expression rules. By simplifying the creation of test cases, developers can improve the quality of their apps.
- Prompt Builder AI skill is now available natively in additional new Appian Cloud locations, including Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland, India, and Brazil for additional support in Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and South America.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean?
Appian is determined to use AI Copilot to enhance its platform’s performance and capabilities. It also sees AI as an additive technology, not a replacement technology for people. Conversations at Appian World earlier this year demonstrated this, and we expect more announcements at Appian Europe in a couple of months.
It is a surprise that Appian has released this with little fanfare. For most vendors, the capabilities added would be considered enough to warrant a major release. Instead, Appian is just rolling them out the door as a point upgrade.
Of all the features, the release of the AI Copilot for data fabric looks the most interesting. Getting access to data has been and remains a struggle for most users. Data fabric enables organisations to remove data silos without having to redesign or replace products. Many data teams will be looking closely at how well this feature works, and the feedback from those teams will help refine the final release.
This is a good release from Appian that is likely to be well-received by customers.
