Gergely Orosz, author of The Pragmatic Engineer, discusses the bizarre trend of 'token maxing' in Big Tech, the evolving role of software engineers in the AI era, and why companies are heavily investing in internal AI infrastructure despite uncertain productivity gains.
Microsoft researchers unpack the New Future of Work Report 2025, exploring AI's real-world impact. They discuss adoption trends, the shift in job tasks, and the crucial distinction between viewing AI as a simple tool versus a collaborator. The conversation emphasizes moving beyond pure efficiency to consciously design a future where AI supports human flourishing and meaningful work.
Dexter Horthy of HumanLayer critiques the initial Research-Plan-Implement (RPI) framework for AI coding agents, revealing its tendency to encourage 'outsourcing thinking'. He introduces CRISPR, a new structured methodology that emphasizes smaller, focused prompts, human-agent alignment through artifacts like Design Discussions, and engineer ownership to combat 'slop' and improve code quality in complex projects.
fast.ai founder Jeremy Howard critiques the 'vibe coding' illusion, arguing that AI-assisted tools create a slot machine-like experience that erodes true software engineering skills. He revisits the origins of ULMFiT, champions interactive programming for building intuition, and reframes AI risk from existential threats to the dangers of power centralization and human enfeeblement.
Sherwin Wu, head of engineering for OpenAI’s API platform, discusses the radical transformation of software engineering. He shares how 95% of OpenAI engineers use Codex to manage fleets of AI agents, cutting code review times from 15 to 3 minutes. Wu explores the widening productivity gap, the changing role of managers in an AI-first world, and why "models will eat your scaffolding for breakfast", urging developers to build for where AI is going, not where it is today.
Sam Altman discusses the future of AI, covering the evolution of software engineering, the challenges for AI startups, the roadmap for model capabilities and costs, and the broader societal impacts on economics, security, and education.