AI coding agents don't just change how we write code — they change what it means to be a software engineer. The developers getting the most out of these tools aren't the ones with the cleverest prompts, but the ones who've invested in the infrastructure that makes AI effective: thorough documentation, comprehensive test suites, automated code reviews, and disciplined task management. The best AI engineers are the ones who were already doing good engineering.

But there's a human side to this shift. When your collaborator never sleeps and never needs a break, how do you set boundaries? Is it OK for your agents to stop running while you live your life? How do you avoid "just one more iteration" at midnight?

In this session, we'll explore both sides of AI-assisted development — the practical: building the scaffolding that turns an AI agent from an unpredictable autocomplete into a reliable teammate, and the personal: managing your time, energy, and expectations alongside a tool that's always ready to go, even when you're not. You'll leave with a concrete playbook for making these tools work for you without letting them run you into the ground.