Flow: The not-so subtle Art of AI development

AI might soon handle 80% of coding. With 1 million developers using AI to code faster, we ask: What's next for developers? There's concern, but at Microsoft, we're optimistic. I'll share our research on how to stay in the 'Flow' – a focused coding state. We'll look at how AI, easy access, and coding come together. We don't see AI as a replacement, but as a helpful tool to boost creativity and improve work.

Developer Flow and AI

AI might soon handle 80% of coding. With 1 million developers using AI to code faster, we ask: What's next for developers? There's concern, but at Microsoft, we're optimistic. I'll share our research on how to stay in the 'Flow' – a focused coding state. We'll look at how AI, easy access, and coding come together. We don't see AI as a replacement, but as a helpful tool to boost creativity and improve work.

In a session rich with live demonstrations, explore innovative strategies designed to enhance your developer workflow, utilizing tools such as Azure OpenAI, the Azure Developer CLI, and GitHub Copilot. Rory will unveil insights from Microsoft’s extensive research on maintaining the 'Flow' - a state of concentrated and focused coding.

Discover the convergence of AI, effortless accessibility, and coding, and learn how at Microsoft, AI is viewed not as a replacement but as a supportive tool, aiming to amplify creativity and optimize work processes.

Don’t miss the opportunity to benefit from Microsoft's profound research and learn how to harness the power of AI to maintain a consistent 'Flow' in your development process.

Revitalize your Web Apps: Streamline modernization with Developer Patterns

Explore how web apps are transitioning to the cloud. This session offers strategies for reliable, resilient cloud migration with minimal code changes. Learn about infrastructure automation, cloud-native solutions, and insights from real-world case studies.

A live demo highlights the "Reliable Web App Pattern," essential for cloud transitions. Key aspects include:

State Management: Managing application state in cloud environments.
Scalability: Efficient load handling strategies.
Resilience and Fault Tolerance: Implementing patterns like circuit breakers for enhanced resilience.
Security: Addressing cloud-specific security and compliance.
Monitoring and Logging: Real-time performance tracking.
CI/CD Integration: Automated, error-free deployment.

This session is ideal for those aiming to migrate applications to the cloud, offering practical strategies and expert insights.

Git It Done with GitHub Copilot!

Are you tired of mundane tasks, human errors, complex algorithms or navigating a steep learning curve getting in the way of your success as a developer? Come discover how with GitHub Copilot by my side, it's like having my own Hal 9000 to guide me every step along the way. From repetitive scripting commands to automating tedious processes and double-checking for mistakes, this power tool packs quite a punch while ensuring I can stay focused on becoming an excellent coder. So join us and learn more about all that can be achieved thanks to GitHub Copilot – because coding should always come first!

Finding a needle in a haystack, except the needle is also made of hay - How AZD changed everything

Forget the adage "speed wins the race"; wise developers know it's all about using the right methods. Like the clever tortoise, we've learned that the key to developer velocity is not about being the fastest but learning the right tools and processes from millions of our developer's inputs.

But don't worry; their bungles have led to our code ninja tool - the Azure Developer CLI (AZD). We'll go deep into the wisdom gained from creating the AZD tooling and show you how to avoid the pitfalls and embrace the path to developer velocity.

You'll leave the session with easy-to-use commands that will take you from creating a local project, a development container, running everything locally and optionally deploying it to the cloud.

This high-energy, fun-filled session will serve a side of SASS and a sprinkle of hilariousness. It's like finding a needle in a needle stack - easy peasy! So join me for how we built our tooling and changed developing cloud apps from days to seconds.

Harnessing OpenAI to help millions

Are you ready to join the revolution of AI bots that spread like a virus, but instead of causing harm, they enhance for all? That's right, we're talking about a world where everyone can access and enjoy your platform with just a few simple clicks.

This high-energy, informational, and empowering session will be packed with actionable takeaways and tales from the front lines of OpenAI programming. You'll hear about our tools, our breakthroughs, and the emotional journey leading to them. So grab a seat, get ready to level up your app development game, and let's build a more inclusive future together!

Automate an idea to production using Spring Boot apps

Imagine that you're an infrastructure manager who's been asked to provision your Spring Boot resources by using Terraform.

In this session, you’ll learn how to automate Spring Boot Apps from an idea to Production.

We’ll cover:

- Provisioning a database and an Azure App Service instance using Terraform and GitHub Actions

- Configure your repo to build and deploy your application on-demand.

At Microsoft we encourage you to use the tools and frameworks that you know and love - We go to where developers are!

You love GitHub - Now, you can learn how to use GitHub Actions with Terraform to provide the automation you need for your Spring Boot apps on Azure.

So, start your journey now with "Automate an idea to production using Spring Boot apps."

Programming for Accessibility

My life is a hilarious roller coaster of miss-intended programming bugs because at 120 cm tall and 50 kilograms I completely fall off your radar.

Why did my scale call me! Why does facial recognition see me as a child? These are all valid questions I often ask myself as I navigate my weird and different world. Have you heard the phrase “You have to be this tall for Micro-services”? well what about: “You have to be this tall to operate a mobile phone?”. I am finding it harder and harder to reach any button except for “#” and “9”.

Building accessibility into the planning stages of programming can eliminate barriers for participation and create an inclusive environment for people with disabilities. Programming for diversity serves as an unquestionable indicator that your software embraces the diversity of your users and cares about their safety and comfort.

Join me on a fascinating and thought-provoking look at how you can program for accessibility.

My Talk Overview - I begin my talk by explaining the everyday challenges that I encounter. Then, I show, how too often, adaptation and dissemination to technological innovations widen the gap towards equal access for persons with disabilities.

I then introduce the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), the technical guidelines created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to create accessible mobile and web-based applications.

I conclude by going through a straightforward design process that shows how accessibility can become a feature set and not a hindrance.

My Inspiration - I often forget that I'm a little person. It's the physical environment and society that remind me. In giving you an insight into who I am today, I wanted to offer you a new perspective. I wanted to challenge the idea that design is but a tool to create function and beauty. The design dramatically impacts people's lives, all lives. Design is a way to feel included in the world, but it is also a way to uphold a person's dignity and human rights. Unfortunately, design can also inflict vulnerability on a group whose needs we don't consider.

So today, I want your perceptions challenged. Who are we not designing for? How can we amplify their voices and their experiences? What is the next step? Design is an enormous privilege, but it is an immense responsibility. So, I want to open your eyes.

Why am I the best person to do this talk:
1) I will do the topic proud!: I have broad experience in public speaking on accessibility. I work closely with the Accessibility Team at Microsoft and co-lead Accessibility advocacy for Developer relations at Microsoft

2) I will do the conference proud!: As a seasoned speaker, I often speak at both conferences and user groups. I have experience in delivering talks to large groups (100,000+) and have been professionally trained.

3) I will make the community proud!: I believe strongly in accessible software, and this conference is privileged to address essential accessibility issues. However, I am also aware that this may be a sensitive topic and will ensure that I take the utmost care in wording my talk in the most discreet manner.

AI, Accessibility and 1.6 billion people

In the rapidly evolving world of technology, the tools we harness today shape the future we build tomorrow. As a Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft, I've had the unique opportunity to work at the forefront of this transformation, particularly in the realm of AI and developer tooling.

In this talk, I will guide you through an exploration of four revolutionary tools that are redefining the boundaries of software development: OpenAI, ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and VSCode. We'll delve into how these tools are enhancing developer productivity, improving software quality, and even automating the process of code generation and bug fixing. I'll also be showcasing live demos using VSCode, a tool that I've had the privilege of helping reach 2 million active Java developers.

But our journey won't stop there. I'll also introduce you to a unique bot, powered by OpenAI and Playwright, that identifies and rectifies accessibility issues automatically. This bot is not just a theoretical concept, but a practical tool that is already making a difference for the 1.6 billion people who use Windows.

As we navigate this landscape together, we'll not only gain a deeper understanding of these revolutionary tools but also explore the broader implications they hold for our industry and the world at large. We'll discuss how AI and developer tooling can make technology more accessible and inclusive, and how we can all contribute to this important mission.

This is more than a session—it's a journey into the future of AI in developer tooling and accessibility, and I can't wait to share it with you.

Irresponsible AI

Join us as we unleash the chaos of AI agents and tackle the challenge of embedding ethics, diversity, and control into conversational AI platforms! This session dives deep into irresponsible AI agents—showcasing jaw-dropping examples of model failures, adversarial jailbreaks, and ethical landmines that can wreck trust and compliance.

We'll explore Microsoft’s cutting-edge Responsible AI tools, including AI content filters, Red Teaming strategies, and the Responsible AI Dashboard—featuring live demos of AI agents behaving both responsibly and irresponsibly in ways you won’t believe.

🔥 What you’ll walk away with:
✅ How to spot and shut down AI risks before they explode
✅ Deploying AI Content Safety tools to prevent abuse & misinformation
✅ The secret sauce to making AI agents that people (and regulators) trust

Get ready for a session packed with hype, high-stakes AI drama, and must-know strategies to keep your AI on the right side of history. Don’t just build AI—build AI that matters!