Anthropic: AI helps break the cost barrier to COBOL modernization

No, I don't see it. Current COBOL is running and meeting the needs. Rewriting the code would be a massive venture but even if Claude is able to map and rewrite the code there is 0 chance it can be trusted without major and expensive testing. Additionally, dealing with the new hardware that will be needed would be a major point of pain. Claude will help but why break something that's working. The better path will be to do a new needs analysis and then use Claude as one of the tools to make the transition. But the biggest block is getting management to pay for new code when the old code is not broken plus there is a chance of making things worse by doing the rewrite. Why would management take that risk?

Just interpret the code as English language instructions. What could go wrong?

IBM stock -13.15% in one day.