Anaconda Inc., the developer of an open-source data science platform, today announced a unified artificial intelligence development platform purpose-built for use with open-source software.

The Anaconda AI Platform provides security and governance features that are unique to open-source development and integrated with the company’s pre-vetted packages and productivity aids that the company says improve operational efficiency by up to 80%.

The platform combines trusted distribution, simplified workflows, real-time insights and governance controls in one place for use by Python developers. Anaconda cited its own research that found that half of data science practitioners use open source.  Synopsys Inc. has estimated that 96% of commercial software includes open-source components.

Managing open-source packages requires unique security and integration considerations because anyone can contribute to a project. The Anaconda AI Platform provides guardrails that enable responsible use while enabling enterprise developers to build once and deploy anywhere safely and at scale.

Cross-platform compatibility

Anaconda simplifies and automates much of the grunt work of working with open source, such as verifying the validity of the software supply chain, checking for vulnerabilities and ensuring that a package works on available hardware.

“All of these things are the very unsexy but concrete day-to-day pains that customers have when they use open source,” said Peter Wang, Anaconda’s co-founder and chief AI and innovation officer. “We’re taking on that load for them, so they’re getting a trusted source of packages, and a place where they can sync up their environments from developer to production. They can see what open models are being used, which ones are secured, quantized appropriately and have the correct level of performance.”

Anaconda chose to build a platform targeted at AI development because it foresees a flood of citizen developers using large language models to write code, Wang said. “We’ve seen attacks and security vulnerabilities in open source explode in the last couple of years,” he said. “We thought it was important and timely to put a platform together that addresses AI vulnerabilities and supports next-generation AI use cases for Python.”

The platform eliminates environment-specific barriers, enabling teams to create and run AI applications across on-premises, cloud and devices without reworking code for each target. “Our experience has been that data scientists use the cloud, but almost no one uses the cloud exclusively,” Wang said.

A redesigned interface (pictured) makes tools easily available. Unified command line interface authentication provides automated token distribution and configuration to reduce administrative overhead.

Developers have access to hundreds of compatible open-source packages that have been tested by Anaconda. Quick Start Environments provide preconfigured, security-vetted workspaces tailored for Python, Finance, and AI development.

AI code assistant

For developers who are less steeped in Python, the Anaconda AI Assistant, which is now in private beta test, automates visibility and collaboration across users, teams, and organizations. Enterprise single sign-on integrates with existing tech stacks.

Centralized error-tracking and logging let teams identify and resolve issues faster through real-time monitoring across workflows, while governance features provide audit trails that support compliance with major regulations. Package auditing capabilities track usage patterns, identify vulnerabilities and generate audit logs.

“Developers don’t want to have to learn a whole new UI,” Wang said. “They just want to use the notebooks and tools they like, but connect to the same infrastructure.” He said Anaconda is committed to integrating with popular tools and platforms like VS Code, Cursor and Amazon Web Services Inc.’s Bedrock while also supporting on-premises and cloud platforms.

Anaconda said its user base quadrupled to over one million last year and now includes 94% of the Fortune 500. The company has raised $83 million in funding, according to Crunchbase.

Image: Anaconda