Krux
March 31, 2026
Fujitsu's AI Cuts COBOL Documentation Time by 97%
Published: March 31, 2026 at 12:32 AM
Updated: March 31, 2026 at 12:32 AM
100-word summary
Fujitsu launched an AI service in Japan that reads COBOL code and automatically writes design documents, slashing creation time by 97%. The tool tackles a painful reality: most legacy systems lack readable documentation, forcing expensive consultants to reverse-engineer what the code actually does. The service uses knowledge graphs to connect code with existing design information, producing documents 95% more complete than generic AI attempts. Fujitsu plans to add automatic code rewriting later this year, turning documentation into the first step of full modernization. The era of paying retired COBOL programmers $200/hour to explain their own code may finally be ending.
What happened
Fujitsu launched an AI service in Japan that reads COBOL code and automatically writes design documents, slashing creation time by 97%. The tool tackles a painful reality: most legacy systems lack readable documentation, forcing expensive consultants to reverse-engineer what the code actually does.
Why it matters
The service uses knowledge graphs to connect code with existing design information, producing documents 95% more complete than generic AI attempts. Fujitsu plans to add automatic code rewriting later this year, turning documentation into the first step of full modernization. The era of paying retired COBOL programmers $200/hour to explain their own code may finally be ending.