OpenAI says its AI is better at converting COBOL code to modern code

In short: OpenAI says its latest AI models have improved at turning older programming languages like COBOL into modern code.

What happened

OpenAI said on October 19 that it has made “substantial improvements” in how well its AI models handle “low resource” programming languages. That term means languages that have less training data available, so AI systems often struggle with them.

One example is COBOL, a programming language first created in 1959. COBOL still runs behind the scenes at many big organizations, including parts of banking, credit card payments, ATMs, airlines, and government agencies.

The problem is that a lot of this software is old, complex, and risky to change. It is like trying to replace the wiring inside a building while people are still living in it. Many organizations want to modernize these systems, but they also fear breaking something that needs to work every day.

Why it matters

If AI tools can reliably convert old code into newer code, it could make it easier and cheaper to update systems that people depend on for basic services, like getting paid, withdrawing cash, or filing taxes. But the stakes are high. Even if AI can rewrite code, humans still need to check the results carefully, since mistakes in financial and government systems can cause real harm.

Source: The Verge AI