Fireside Chat with Werner Vogels, VP & CTO, Amazon.com & Daniel Gebler, CTO at Picnic

Your engineers aren't being replaced by AI, but by other engineers who master it. Two leading CTOs explain how to navigate this fundamental shift in software development.

#1about 3 minutes

Building software architectures that can evolve over time

To ensure longevity, applications must be designed for continuous feature updates, as stagnation is perceived as death by customers.

#2about 3 minutes

Using technical debt strategically for speed and innovation

Incurring technical debt intentionally, like using Ruby on Rails for prototyping, can accelerate learning and experimentation when speed is the priority.

#3about 5 minutes

Developer responsibility for AI-generated code and compliance

Despite the rise of automated code generation, developers remain fully responsible for the output, especially regarding compliance and security.

#4about 4 minutes

How AI is reshaping the software development lifecycle

AI is expanding beyond implementation to assist with system design and requirements, potentially changing the value of refactoring versus rebuilding.

#5about 3 minutes

The evolving skill set for engineers in the AI era

The demand for engineers remains high, but the required skills are shifting from pure coding to leadership, continuous learning, and systems thinking.

#6about 6 minutes

Adopting a holistic AI strategy across business functions

Effective AI adoption requires training all stakeholders, not just engineers, and recognizing that AI has long been integral to core business operations like supply chain.

#7about 2 minutes

Understanding the AI hype cycle and Jevons paradox

The current AI landscape is characterized by high startup valuations and a fear of missing out, but efficiency gains often lead to more work, not less, as described by Jevons paradox.

#8about 3 minutes

Pacing innovation to match customer readiness and acceptance

Rapid technological advancements, like pre-filling a shopping basket, can overwhelm customers if the change is too drastic, requiring a more gradual introduction.