OOTB and AI

A question that frequently comes up is does Out of the Box Software use AI in development?

TL;DR: not for code.

At Out of the Box Software, we write our code the old-fashioned way: with focus, care, and human expertise. No large language models (LLMs), no shortcuts, no copilot on autopilot. Just seasoned developers solving real problems, with clean, robust, and maintainable code.

But don’t get us wrong: we’re not anti-AI. Quite the opposite. We do use language models where they make sense: for exploring ideas, improving communication, or automating repetitive documentation. Even the initial draft for this post was produced by an LLM. We just draw the line at letting them write the code that runs your business.

Why?

Because software deserves thought. And context. And nuance. And the ability to say “no” to the first idea that pops up in autocomplete.

LLMs Are Tools, Not Teammates

We’re firm believers that LLMs are valuable tools; just not developers. When you’re building something mission-critical or long-lived, you don’t want to discover that your app is built on spaghetti generated by a stochastic parrot. You want clean architecture, clarity, and accountability. And that only comes from human judgment.

What do we use LLMs for?

• Parsing. LLMs are great for transforming human input into structured data that can be used by software. Think R2-D2, who could understand human, but then plug into a data port.
• Data analysis. For data mining and analysis, many companies today employ machine learning and we’re no exception. ML can find trends out of seemingly unrelated data, and that can be very helpful in driving automation.
• Data generation. We have some in-house development tools that can generate test data and starting points for image assets, which are then modified to exactly fit the needs of the software.

We don’t use LLMs to:

• Write production code
• Decide how anything should be structured
• Replace peer review
• Generate boilerplate that nobody understands

Code That Thinks, Because We Thought First

At Out of the Box, we believe your software should be understood by the people who build and maintain it. That’s why we write everything ourselves; thoughtfully, deliberately, and with careful planning.

You won’t find us copy-pasting from an anonymous AI output window. Instead, you’ll see hand-crafted pull requests, meaningful commits, and conversations that respect the complexity of your problem.

AI-Smart, Not AI-Driven

We’re not Luddites. We don’t fear AI. We use it as a support system, not a crutch. And that’s the balance we think modern software development needs.

If you’re looking for a team that knows how to think with the tools of the future, but still writes software with accountability and care, you’re in the right place.

Out of the Box Software: Built by humans. For humans. With just the right touch of machine.