Enterprise DevOps
CloudBees Charts AI-First Course as Code Volume Explodes
The CI/CD platform provider is remaking itself to handle the operational challenges that generative AI is creating for enterprise development teams.
The New Stack
CloudBees has embarked on a sweeping transformation to position itself as an AI-native platform, responding to the fundamental shift in how code is being produced and managed in the enterprise. New CEO Mo Plassnig, who returned to the company earlier this year after a stint in security, is leading the charge—tasked by the board with moving beyond incremental improvements and reimagining the company's core mission.
Why AI Changes the CI/CD Game#
The pressure driving this pivot is straightforward: generative AI is generating code at a scale that traditional DevOps tooling was never designed to handle. Rather than the science-fiction scenario of AI agents replacing engineers entirely, the real problem is more immediate and operational. Enterprise teams must now grapple with managing vastly higher volumes of code flowing through their systems, raising new questions about how to vet, test, deploy, and secure machine-generated output.
Plassnig's background gives him credibility in this space. He co-founded CodeShip, a CI/CD startup that CloudBees acquired eight years ago. After the acquisition, he spent years building the company's product portfolio before stepping away to focus on security. He describes his return as driven by generative AI: "When generative AI emerged, it reignited my passion" for solving the fundamental problems in software delivery.
Ground Truth vs. Social Media Narrative#
In recent months, Plassnig has toured Fortune 500 firms and large public organizations to understand how they're actually deploying AI-powered development tools. The gap between conference keynotes and boardroom reality is significant.
"What they are doing on the ground differs significantly from conference hype or public commentary on social media," he notes. While industry observers debate whether agentic coding will transform the profession entirely, enterprises are focused on a narrower challenge: adoption at scale demands more than new technology. It requires overhauling processes, establishing governance frameworks, and ensuring security—a heavy lift that extends far beyond the tooling itself.
CloudBees' reinvention, including updates to its popular open-source Jenkins automation server, is aimed at making that transition smoother for organizations navigating this new landscape.
