Claris Refreshes Its AI Strategy and the Impact on FileMaker

Spring 2025 brought big news from Claris, unveiling a ramped AI strategy that’s set to supercharge FileMaker and its suite of products. This isn’t just a tweak—it’s a game-changer for developers and businesses relying on custom apps. With a focus on smarter solutions and faster workflows, FileMaker is poised to deliver more power and flexibility than ever.

Two Pillars of Claris’s AI Vision

Claris is doubling down on two core goals to transform FileMaker in 2025:

• Augment Solutions: Expand what FileMaker can do. From natural language searches to voice-driven graphing, AI unlocks new ways to interact with data, making apps more intuitive and versatile.
• Enhance Productivity: Speed up development and empower developers. New tools and integrations cut configuration time, letting solo devs or small teams tackle bigger projects with ease.

AI-Powered Features Coming to FileMaker

Later in 2025, a new FileMaker version will bring AI directly into your solutions, with setup so simple it takes just minutes. Here’s what’s on the horizon, based on Claris’s announcements:

• Seamless LLM Integrations: Connect to leading large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, or Google with minimal fuss. Missing your favorite AI provider? A custom option lets you plug in any model, including local LLMs for full control.
• Complex Searches Made Simple: Perform semantic searches using natural language descriptions, finding data based on meaning, not just keywords. Think “show me recent sales trends” instead of rigid queries.
• Voice and Text Commands: Graph data or generate reports with voice or text prompts, streamlining workflows for users and developers alike.
• Multilingual Data Summaries: Produce summaries in multiple languages, perfect for global teams or diverse audiences.
• Schema Evaluation: Get AI-driven insights into your database structure, spotting inefficiencies or suggesting optimizations without manual analysis.

FileMaker Server is also getting an AI upgrade. New options include the ability to train custom models directly on the server, tailoring AI to your specific needs. Security remains a cornerstone, with Claris ensuring enterprise-grade protection—think end-to-end encryption, OAuth, and AI-based threat detection—to keep your data safe, whether on-premise or in the cloud.

Why This Matters for Developers

For solo developers or small shops, this AI strategy is a force multiplier. FileMaker’s low-code roots already make it fast, but AI integrations slash development time even further. What might have consumed hours or days can now be prototyped in hours, thanks to native AI script steps like Configure AI Account, Insert Embedding, and Perform Semantic Find. These tools let you harness LLMs without wrestling with complex APIs, leaving more time to focus on client solutions.

The flexibility to choose public, custom, or local LLMs means you control costs and data privacy. Prototyping with a local model avoids racking up API bills, while switching to OpenAI or Cohere for production is seamless. Plus, FileMaker’s Web Viewer technology opens the door to rich visualizations, like interactive charts or flow charts, all driven by AI.

Real-World Impact for Users

For end-users—whether coaches, business owners, or analysts—FileMaker’s AI makes apps more intuitive. Non-technical users can explore data with natural language, generate reports with a voice command, or get insights without needing a developer on speed dial. This empowers teams to make faster, smarter decisions, from optimizing workflows to uncovering hidden trends.

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