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Mainframe modernization: Where AI wins and fails
27 minutes Posted Mar 19, 2026 at 1:58 pm.
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Show notes
There are two sides to the mainframe modernization coin, according to Asa Kalavade, vice president of AWS Transform, an agentic AI service that modernizes Windows, mainframe, and VMware environments. In late February, Asa wrote a blog post about misconceptions regarding AI and mainframe modernization that were revealed by work with more than 400 AWS Transform customers. In that post and during this episode's discussion, she explains why successful mainframe modernization requires both reverse and forward engineering – and why AI is only good at one of those things.
Featuring: Asa Kalavade, VP of AWS Transform
In today’s episode, we’ll cover…
The need for both reverse and forward engineering in app modernization
The intricacies of mainframe applications AI tends to struggle with
Where AI agents help the modernization process
The evolving role of mainframe experts
And more!
References:
How to use ChatGPT in mainframe modernization
Mainframe modernization to AI apps: USPTO reinvents itself
Learnings from COBOL modernization in the real world (AWS)
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