OpenAI says new AI models can migrate legacy COBOL code

OpenAI stated on October 19 that its latest AI models offer substantial improvements in migrating aging software written in older programming languages into modern code. The company claimed these capabilities could help organizations maintain and modernize older systems. This development targets infrastructure heavily reliant on antiquated code, including the Internal Revenue Service, banks, airlines, and government infrastructure around the world. These entities currently run on systems that operators are reluctant to alter due to the risk of system failure. COBOL, one of the languages highlighted by OpenAI, remains embedded in these critical operations. The announcement follows a period where such legacy code has been described as a crisis that nobody dares touch, lest everything come crashing down. OpenAI positions this technical advancement as a potential solution to the challenge of modernizing these stubbornly embedded systems.