AI Coding Agent for IBM i Modernization

IBM Bob (Project Bob)

IBM's current, generally available AI coding agent for IBM i, built as a fork of Visual Studio Code and tuned for RPG, CL, DDS, and SQL development and modernization work.

Vendor: IBM Operating environment: VS Code-based AI coding agent for RPG, CL, DDS, and SQL on IBM i Deployment: Downloadable AI coding agent; general availability since March 24, 2026

IBM Bob, introduced as "Project Bob" at TechXchange in October 2025, is IBM's current, generally available AI coding agent for IBM i. It reached GA 1.0.0 on March 24, 2026, and is built as a fork of Visual Studio Code, tailored specifically for IBM i developers working with RPG, CL, DDS, and SQL.

What it is built to do

Code explanation

Explains existing RPG, CL, DDS, and SQL programs, helping a developer who did not write a given program understand what it does.

Code generation

Generates new RPG code from natural-language prompts, using a fine-tuned model built around the IBM i execution environment, program call interfaces, and data structure conventions.

Modernization and documentation

Suggests modernization improvements and produces automatic documentation for existing IBM i programs.

How it relates to watsonx Code Assistant for i

IBM previewed watsonx Code Assistant for i in November 2025 as an upcoming, IBM i-specific coding assistant out of IBM's Rochester lab. That preview track was subsequently succeeded by Bob, which reached general availability in March 2026. Bob, not watsonx Code Assistant for i, is IBM's current answer for AI-assisted RPG development and modernization on IBM i. See our watsonx Code Assistant for i listing for the historical preview-era context.

Confirm current supported RPG dialects, IBM i release requirements, and licensing directly with IBM before budgeting a modernization project around Bob ... capability has continued to evolve since its March 2026 GA release.

Related

IBM watsonx Code Assistant for i

IBM's November 2025 preview announcement of an IBM i-specific, RPG-focused AI code assistant. This preview track was superseded by IBM Bob, which reached general availability in March 2026.

ARCAD Software

An IBM i DevOps and application lifecycle management vendor offering source code management, testing, and modernization tooling relevant to AI-assisted RPG modernization projects.

Fresche Solutions

An IBM i modernization vendor known for RPG application analysis and transformation tooling, relevant to shops planning AI-assisted or vendor-led RPG modernization.

Profound Logic

An IBM i modernization vendor focused on converting RPG applications to modern web and low-code interfaces, relevant to shops pairing AI-assisted code work with a UI modernization project.

Related Reading

What Is IBM Bob? IBM's AI Coding Agent for RPG on IBM i Explained

IBM Bob is IBM's current, generally available AI coding agent for IBM i. Here is what it actually does, how it succeeded the earlier watsonx Code Assistant for i preview, and what to confirm before you commit.

AI Code Assistants for RPG and COBOL Compared: What Actually Works on IBM i

IBM Bob, GitHub Copilot, and general-purpose chat assistants all get used near RPG and COBOL code. Here is how they actually differ for IBM i modernization work.

AI-Assisted RPG Modernization: From Fixed-Format to Free-Format and Beyond

AI-assisted RPG modernization is one piece of a larger modernization picture. Here is how fixed-to-free-format conversion fits alongside DevOps tooling and UI modernization.