Why Did We Create Dify?

At Dify, we are passionate about making AI technology more accessible and user-friendly. As we began our journey, we identified several key challenges that developers and users face when working with AI-native applications, especially with the advanced large language models provided by OpenAI. In this blog post, we will discuss the reasons behind the creation of Dify and our mission to simplify the AI development process.

Challenge: Building AI-native Applications

Developing AI-native applications can be a complex and time-consuming process. OpenAI's embeddings and fine-tuning mechanisms can be difficult to understand, and preparing suitable data for a custom large language model (LLM) application can be quite challenging. Tasks such as data segmentation, format conversion, and data cleansing can be tedious and time-consuming.

Vision: AI-native Applications of the Future

The future of AI-native applications is still largely unknown, as the technology continues to evolve rapidly. We are stepping into uncharted territory, but we have some ideas about what these products might look like:

• AI-native applications will likely leverage the unique strengths of large language models, rather than simply being wrappers around existing models.

• We foresee a world where AI-powered assistants, like copilots, can seamlessly integrate into various industries such as support, legal, and sales.

• AI-generated content could become the new user-generated content, unlocking new opportunities in personalized advertising, generative entertainment, and interactive gaming experiences.

• AI-native applications will need to tackle the challenges posed by LLMs, such as hallucination, latency, and the balance between model size and performance.

• We envision new creative workflows that enable users to rapidly generate, refine, and remix content, transforming the way people interact with AI-powered tools.

Solution: An Easy-to-Use LLMOps Platform

To address these challenges, we created Dify, an easy-to-use LLMOps platform designed to empower developers and even non-developers to build powerful applications based on advanced large language model technology. Our platform simplifies the process of creating, fine-tuning, and managing LLM applications, allowing users to focus on their core objectives.

Dify Product Philosophy

1. Fully Visual and User-Friendly: Dify is designed to be intuitive and visually appealing, making it easy for users to create and manage their AI-native applications.

2. One API: We provide a comprehensive backend-as-a-service API that allows most applications to be built using a single API, streamlining development and reducing complexity.

3. Open and Open Source: We are committed to openness and transparency. Dify' WebApp component will be completely open source, enabling anyone to fork the code and deploy it on Vercel or their own servers. The other components of the product will be open-sourced within the first three months of the product's launch.

Innovating with Cutting-Edge Technologies

At Dify, we believe in harnessing the full potential of AI technologies. We continuously explore and integrate cutting-edge advancements into our platform, such as the agent mode and ChatGPT plugins. These innovations enable our users to create more dynamic, interactive, and intelligent applications.

Emphasizing Sustainable AI-native Application Operations

We understand the importance of sustainable operations for AI-native applications. As such, we are committed to providing features that support auditing, logging, and monitoring. These capabilities allow our users to maintain control over their applications, ensuring compliance and promoting long-term success.

In conclusion, Dify was born out of our desire to make AI technology more accessible and to address the challenges faced by developers and users when creating AI-native applications. We are dedicated to providing an easy-to-use LLMOps platform that incorporates the latest advancements in AI technology and supports sustainable operations. Join us on our journey as we continue to innovate and simplify the world of AI-native application development.

via @dify_ai and @goocarlos