Tools that let people build applications, automations or AI workflows by dragging blocks and filling in forms rather than writing programs. No-code tools need no programming at all; low-code tools let you add small pieces of code where the visual tools fall short. They put building in the hands of people who know the business problem, though complex or unusual needs often outgrow them.
Technical view
Visual development platforms that generate or interpret application logic from configuration: workflow builders, form and database tools, and AI pipeline builders that chain model calls, retrieval and tool use as nodes. Benefits are speed and access for domain experts. Trade-offs are limited expressiveness, difficulty versioning, testing and reviewing visual logic, performance ceilings, and dependence on the platform vendor. Governance is a recurring issue because citizen-built automations can handle sensitive data outside central oversight. Natural language prompting to generate apps blurs the boundary with vibe coding.
Related
Part of AI Terminology Index, section: Building and Using Models.