The way artificial intelligence can write software has already prompted many companies to introduce code-generating products, so it\u2019s no surprise that SettleMint<\/a>, a low-code blockchain programming tool for enterprises, recently added an AI assistant to its platform.<\/p>\n The AI assistant, which arrived about nine months after SettleMint announced its 16 million euro Series A funding round<\/a>, promises to help developers create smart contracts, integrate data, and enhance quality assurance (QA) testing.<\/p>\n Despite a climate where digital currency prices have nosedived, the seven-year-old Belgium company is seeing steady user growth as more enterprises are recognizing the benefits of blockchain technology but lack the technical skills to bring their ideas to fruition.<\/p>\n In a survey done by the programmer Q&A site Stack Overflow<\/a>, only 1% of the respondents reported having done extensive work in Solidity, the programming language used to write smart contracts, which are self-executing digital contracts built on blockchains, normally Ethereum.<\/p>\n SettleMint didn\u2019t create the AI assistant to replace humans, said Roderik van der Veer<\/a>, co-founder and CTO at SettleMint. The AI could help draft smart contracts, but its real value is explaining what each line of code does.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you understand a piece of code, you know where you get it wrong,\u201d said van der Veer. \u201cSo instead of having to look at the screen and trying to Google whatever you see, and processing all [the information on] the internet in your mind and [use] your Google skills to form a conclusion of what could be wrong, it does it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n While the AI assistant can suggest modifications to avoid vulnerabilities, the code won\u2019t be bug-free, said van der Veer. Technical audits are still necessary, especially given the complexity of blockchain systems. But having SettleMint as the first layer of screening means auditors can spend more time on the \u201cnon-trivial\u201d parts of the code to debug, the founder suggested.<\/p>\n SettleMint is training the AI assistant mostly on OpenAI\u2019s GPT-4 and supplying it with up-to-date information on blockchain development, which is transforming rapidly with frequent technical upgrades.<\/p>\n Product screenshot of SettleMint\u2019s new AI assistant.\u00a0Image: <\/strong>SettleMint<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The \u201ccrypto winter\u201d hasn\u2019t had an adverse impact on SettleMint, which has been \u201cgrowing quite a bit\u201d in lead generation and signed contracts with sales multiplying 3-4x this year, according to van der Veer. Changing customer behavior also reflects a maturing of the enterprise blockchain space, as its users went from mostly \u201csmall teams within companies doing a specific project\u201d to much larger groups undergoing \u201chuge internal training.\u201d<\/p>\n Companies are also using smart contracts for different purposes in crypto\u2019s market downturn. NFT use cases, observed van der Veer, are moving away from collectibles towards practical use cases such as ticketing and guarantees as proof of ownership.<\/p>\n With offices in Leuven, Dubai, New Delhi, Singapore and Tokyo, SettleMint is pushing steadily into Asia with\u00a0funding<\/a>\u00a0from the Japanese electronics giant Fujitsu, while it sees \u201ca lot of growth\u201d in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/SettleMints-AI-Genie-Smart-Contract-Code-Generator-View.png?w=491\")
<\/p>\n