NTU researchers build AI that designs decision-making software in about an hour

Asst Prof Yan Ran (left) and Research Fellow Dr Gong Huatian discussing the LACE model they developed. Credit: NTU Singapore.

An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) framework that automates the creation of complex decision-making software has been developed, slashing development times from months of specialised engineering to just about an hour.

Named LACE (Large Language Model-driven Algorithm Construction via Complementary Evolution), the system built at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), allows non-specialist users to describe highly complex operational problems, such as scheduling, routing, and resource allocation, in plain language. The framework then automatically constructs, evaluates, and refines a dedicated portfolio of specialised algorithms tailored to solve the problem efficiently.

Led by Asst Prof Yan Ran and Research Fellow Dr Gong Huatian from NTU’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, this breakthrough represents a dramatic leap in operational efficiency. While traditional algorithm design requires months of painstaking trial-and-error by domain experts, LACE can construct an optimal solution in about an hour for approximately US$10 (S$12.70) in computing fees, effectively democratising software development for organisations lacking highly specialised computer science teams.

Read more at the NTU Research Hub.