When ChatGPT made its public debut in 2022, one of the most surprising capabilities of the technology was its capacity to go beyond spoken language translation; the generative AI technology enabled users to create computer code simply by inputting natural language prompts.
As generative AI models have grown in complexity, so too has the speed and accuracy at which Large Language Models (LLMs) can translate requests into working code. Now Couchbase, the cloud database platform company, has integrated generative AI into Couchbase Capella, its database as a service offering. Capella iQ will enable developers to leverage AI in the process of building and testing applications.
Couchbase is on the Acceleration Economy Top 10 Shortlist of Data Modernization Enablers.
The Couchbase Copilot
Capella iQ is an integrated Couchbase expert that supports users as they navigate Couchbase Capella, helping to enhance developer productivity and expedite development. Fundamentally, Capella iQ enables Couchbase users to speed up the development process by writing code based on natural language prompts.
Which companies are the most important vendors in data? Check out the Acceleration Economy Data Modernization Top 10 Shortlist.
We spoke with Tim Rottach, Director of Product Marketing, ahead of the launch of Capella iQ about the new innovation, which will be built into the Capella user interface, and its impact on Couchbase users.
“For developers, as they come into our data tools, our workbench area where they’re normally writing SQL queries, Capella iQ will be a button that you can toggle on and off that opens up a window and allows developers to interact with Capella and ask natural language questions around the tasks that they want to do,” Rottach says
The technology will make automated code recommendations during the development process and provide context to these prompts, helping users to complete development tasks more quickly, regardless of their previous experience on the platform. Developers can choose from various LLMs, including ChatGPT, and prompts are guided by the capabilities of the Couchbase platform.
“We guide the prompts we’ve been working on,” says Rottach. “Capella iQ understands Couchbase knowledge, our database structure, and things like that. So, if someone asks something like ‘How do I do this in MongoDB?’ It just says, I can’t help you with that. It’s going to be very Couchbase specific which will help with the answers and the output on the back end.”
While Capella iQ will utilize the data from existing LLMs, there are guardrails to ensure data privacy and contextual accuracy. “We’re not sending any customer data,” explains Rottach. “The only thing we’re sending is information about the structure of a database. What happens is we ask for a query structure and it spits out the SQL query that then gets run in Capella which goes against the customer’s data. But the data itself never goes to ChatGPT.”
Beyond code generation, Capella iQ also helps users to expedite index creation, search syntax and programmatic data access tasks. “Before I run a query, I want to build some indexes to make sure that they’re running fast,” says Rottach. “So (Capella iQ) builds indexes, it builds schema, it builds data sets, it even builds part of the code that you use to connect your application to Capella on the back end.”
Couchbase AI Roadmap
The introduction of Capella iQ, which is yet to be released generally, coincides with a series of AI-focused developments that position Couchbase as a leading database for AI innovation. These developments include:
- Integrating Capella with a wider range of tools in the developer ecosystem, including Vercel for greater developer flexibility
- Dynamic scaling of disk storage and input/output operations per second (IOPS) for higher performance
- Enhanced security features with validation for PCI DSS 4.0 and Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) STAR Level 2 compliance
Collectively, these enhancements make it simpler and faster to develop applications in Capella, a crucial benefit for companies chasing the first mover advantage in AI.
Another significant development is the launch of Couchbase’s AI Accelerate Partner Program. Inaugural members include MindsDB and Dataworkz. The program’s ultimate goal is to support Couchbase customers in development of AI-driven applications using Capella integrations with companies in the AI and data fields.
Couchbase’s AI strategy starts with driving developer productivity, transitions to AI optimized processing and universal access to AI applications, regardless of location, before expanding into the wider AI partners ecosystem. This clear direction is a promising roadmap for Couchbase customers intent on maximizing the potential of AI.
