Show HN: Automating Release Notes Generation Process using GenAI

I'm excited to share my latest personal project, which has been gaining traction at Microsoft. During my time there, I was experimenting with automations that leveraged Generative AI (GenAI) technologies. This led to the development of a tool that has significantly reduced the time taken for generating release notes by approximately 70% for our product's release management team.

This project is now rapidly expanding to other teams and products within Microsoft, and I'm eager to share its details with you.

How it Works

The solution extracts work item data from an Azure DevOps query, a popular method for tracking items in every release. It then automatically generates release notes in Markdown format, making it easy to review and update the content.

The repository contains the source code for an Azure Durable Function App that exposes APIs encapsulating the release note generation logic. A PowerAutomate workflow invokes these APIs to orchestrate the overall process, ensuring a seamless experience for our teams.

Architecture

The solution employs a prompt-chained framework to process input data at various stages. This allows us to fine-tune the output and ensure that it meets our specific requirements.

Furthermore, retrieval-augmented generation is used to perform semantic searches on public product documentation. This enables us to align the output with the language familiar to our customers, ensuring a more human-like experience for them.

Results

The output of this solution is impressive. Our team can now generate high-quality release notes in markdown format with minimal effort, freeing up time for more strategic activities. We're excited to see how this tool can help other teams and products within Microsoft, and we're always looking for ways to improve it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our automated release notes generation process using GenAI has been a game-changer for our product's release management team. We're proud of what we've achieved, and we can't wait to see the impact this will have on other teams and products within Microsoft. If you're interested in learning more or getting involved, feel free to reach out!