Amazon Web Services (AWS) is developing an AI-powered code generation tool, codenamed Kiro, designed to accelerate software development. Kiro aims to generate code in near real-time using AI agents and supports a multimodal interface, accepting text, diagrams, and contextual inputs. It is designed as a web and desktop application that integrates with both first-party and third-party AI agents, going beyond the capabilities of Amazon's existing AI coding assistant, Amazon Q. Kiro analyses developer prompts and existing code to auto-generate output, technical documentation, and flag potential issues.
Kiro's features include a customisable web and desktop app, integration with knowledge bases and developer themes, and the ability to handle tasks such as writing code, drafting technical design documents, and suggesting improvements. Amazon aims to reduce time-to-code while increasing the quality and scope of developer output. While AWS considered a late-June launch, the current status is unclear. The development of Kiro comes amid growing competition in the AI developer tools space, with companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI also investing heavily in AI-driven coding solutions.
Kiro's success hinges on its ability to streamline common development tasks and make software creation faster and more accessible. By automating routine work, Kiro frees developers to focus on creative problem-solving. Amazon describes existing tools as "code-centric" and somewhat limiting, while Kiro is being positioned as a platform to "reimagine" software creation.