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 This preview track was superseded by IBM Bob, which reached general availability in March 2026.
IBM announced watsonx Code Assistant for i on November 19, 2025 as an upcoming, IBM i-specific AI coding assistant, aimed at the same problem every long-tenured IBM i shop has: a large body of fixed-format RPG that is hard to read, hard to hire for, and slow to modernize by hand. It was IBM's first IBM i-specific watsonx-branded coding product to be announced. That preview track was subsequently succeeded by IBM Bob, which reached general availability on March 24, 2026.
What it was announced to do
Fixed-to-free-format conversion
Announced to assist developers in converting legacy fixed-format RPG into modern free-format RPG, a common first step in an IBM i modernization project.
Code explanation
Announced to help a developer who did not write a given RPG program understand what it does.
watsonx.ai foundation
Positioned as built on watsonx.ai foundation models tuned for RPG, as part of IBM's broader watsonx Code Assistant family.
What replaced it
The RPG-focused AI coding assistant track out of IBM's Rochester lab that watsonx Code Assistant for i previewed was superseded by IBM Bob (originally shown as "Project Bob" at TechXchange in October 2025), which reached general availability 1.0.0 on March 24, 2026. Bob, not watsonx Code Assistant for i, is IBM's current, shipping AI coding agent for IBM i. See the IBM Bob listing for what is actually available today.
This listing is preserved for historical context. Do not budget a project around watsonx Code Assistant for i as an independently available product ... for current AI-assisted RPG development and modernization on IBM i, see IBM Bob.
Related
IBM Bob (Project Bob)
IBM's generally available AI coding agent for IBM i. Bob 2.0 and the Bob Premium Package for i shipped June 24, 2026, adding a Db2 for i Database Mode, about 30 IBM i tools, and direct work on source where it lives. Reported pricing from $20 to $240 per month.
IBM watsonx.ai
IBM's studio for building, tuning, and deploying foundation models and generative AI applications, and the underlying AI layer other watsonx products are built on.
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.
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. Bob 2.0 and the Bob Premium Package for i shipped June 24, 2026. Here is what it actually does, how it succeeded the earlier watsonx Code Assistant for i preview, what the Premium Package adds, 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.
Frequently Asked
What is watsonx Code Assistant for i?
watsonx Code Assistant for i was IBM's November 2025 preview announcement of an AI code assistant purpose-built for RPG on IBM i. That preview track never reached independent general availability; it was superseded by IBM Bob, which reached GA on March 24, 2026 and is IBM's current AI coding agent for IBM i. The current product to evaluate is Bob 2.0 with the Bob Premium Package for i, both generally available since June 24, 2026. See our IBM Bob explainer.