Software development in the age of AI

If you’re on social media these days, you’d have heard any of these lines.

• Software engineering is dead

• Nobody is writing code by hand anymore

• If you’re not running multiple AI agents, you’re falling behind

AI coding tools like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor etc are overhyped and powerful at the same time. When used well, they're extraordinary and make 100x engineers. When used without any restraint, you are sure to get massive tech debt that will eventually burn your tokens and grind productivity to a halt. The difference between one usage vs another comes down to the “mindset” of engineering. 

AI is a tool, and the power to wield the tool, still lies with humans.

I have been a software engineer for two decades. With every new tool, I have seen some things change while some things still remain the same. This is the talk about things that are still same and still relevant. My hypothesis is that these things will still be relevant many years down the line (Lindy effect).

In this talk, I’ll cover how one should look at software engineering in the age of AI. I’ll cover why age-old philosophies like Test Driven Development, shifting things left and fast feedback loops still matter, whether you’re using AI or not.

As an audience, you’ll know how ot think about software engineering in decades instead of years. My aim is to equip you with a long-term view so that you can AI-proof your career and growth in the technology industry.

Already covered some above, but here goes:

• How to think about a career in software engineering in decades, not years

• Why fundamentals still matter (and matter even more) in the age of AI

• What culture, philosophy and habits to build for an AI-proof career