Aptly: Making Mobile Apps from Natural Language
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3706599.3720081.pdf
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1.02 MB
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Adobe PDF
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300609be1597ede895fb67f9f91e5c17
Author(s)
Patton, Evan
Kim, David
Granquist, Ashley
Liu, Robin
Scott, Arianna
Zamanova, Jennet
Abelson, Harold
Date Issued
April 25, 2025
Publisher
ACM|Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Citation
Evan W Patton, David Y Kim, Ashley M Granquist, Robin Liu, Arianna Scott, Jennet Zamanova, and Harold Abelson. 2025. Aptly: Making Mobile Apps from Natural Language. In Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 73, 1–6.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
This paper introduces Aptly, a platform designed to democratize mobile app development, particularly for young learners. Aptly integrates a Large Language Model (LLM) with App Inventor, enabling users to create apps using their natural language. User’s description is translated into a programming language that corresponds with App Inventor’s visual blocks. A preliminary study with high school students demonstrated the usability and potential of the platform. Prior programming experience influenced how users interact with Aptly. Participants identified areas for improvement and expressed a shift in perspective regarding programming accessibility and AI’s role in creative endeavors.
Description
CHI EA ’25, Yokohama, Japan
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1145/3706599.3720081
