Honing the right engineering skills in the age of AI

How to design work, coaching, and expectations so engineers grow in the areas where human judgment still outperforms AI.

Speakers: Kaya Thomas

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September 29, 2026

New York • September 8 & 9, 2027

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For many engineers, the traditional early-career path started with bug bashes and small fixes. In the new world of AI, that path isn’t as necessary or helpful to junior engineers.

This talk reframes early-career skill development, in an era where AI can write a lot of code but still struggles with context, systems, and impact.

We’ll explore three foundational capabilities engineers and leaders should intentionally cultivate: human-centered engineering (deeply understanding user problems and impact), systems thinking (owning how complex systems fit together across boundaries), and data modeling (designing and owning the data foundations of your product).

Attendees will learn how to design work, coaching, and expectations so that engineers grow in the areas where humans provide enduring leverage over AI.

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