In automation theory, a centaur is a human using technology to improve quality or become more powerful. When you use a calculator, a car, and even a coding agent, you are a centaur. However, companies like Uber, Amazon and every generative AI vendor would rather see technology run the show, using humans only when those pesky bits and bytes can't get the job done. Their software turns you into what Cory Doctorow calls a reverse centaur.

With the advent of agents in the workplace, you might be building this type of software today, by your own design or because your boss believes humans are just bottlenecks. We end up working for applications, instead of applications working for us.

In this session, I will teach you the tell-tale signs of this type of software and how to put humans at the centre again. Whether you're a software developer, IT decision-maker or manager, I'll discuss what I've learned from building generative AI for the workplace that serves humans first. Become the centaur you were meant to be!