Is AI taking over the craft of coding? In this episode, Annie Vella discusses her recent ACM paper on AI’s impact on software development, including the trade-offs between speed vs quality and the emerging software engineer identity crisis in the age of AI coding assistants.
Last year I wrote that 2024 was a “massive year” and that “even that feels like an understatement”. I had no idea what was coming. 2025 was bigger. It challenged me in ways I hadn’t expected, opened doors I didn’t know existed, and at times left me wondering how I was going to fit it all in. I felt constantly busy, rushing from one thought to another, building on momentum, but at a pace that sometimes caught me off guard.
I’ve always loved sharing my knowledge and experiences with others, but I didn’t always have the courage to step onto a stage. In 2023, I decided to face my fear of public speaking head-on, embracing the mantra “practice makes better”. Since then, I’ve jumped at every opportunity to talk about topics I’m passionate about, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding journey. Engaging with diverse minds at conferences and meetups has been especially fulfilling.