Is this the end of the software developer as we know it, or just another day in the history of computing?

Whenever a new abstraction or a "game-changing" tool arrives, we tend to react with a blend of excitement and existential anxiety. We feel as though this moment is entirely unique; that the rules of the game have been permanently deleted.

But here is a secret: we’ve been here before.

The introduction of AI coding agents is changing not only how we write code but also how we work and organize. While it is still early and impossible to predict exactly where the "AI revolution" will take us, history has left behind a breadcrumb trail of lessons on how to navigate industry pivots.

In this session, we will explore five lessons from the history of technology (and perhaps a few surprises from outside the world of software) to help us understand our new reality. We will look at how our roles have evolved, how our structures have broken and reformed, and what skills actually matter when the "how" of our work changes.

Let’s look in the rearview mirror to get a clearer view of the road ahead. You’ll leave with a historical perspective on the current AI shift and, hopefully, a few good ideas on how to face the change.