People & CultureConference50min
The Human Side of Software Engineering in the Age of AI
This session examines the human challenges of integrating AI into software engineering, addressing the risks of lost expertise, strained code reviews, and reduced collaboration. It offers strategies to maintain human value, foster teamwork, and create true human-AI symbiosis, ensuring engineers remain essential as AI tools advance.
Olena BabenkoAiven OY
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Wednesday, May 6, 16:00-16:50
Room D
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AI tools have shifted from interesting experiments to industry baselines overnight. But while productivity metrics soar, a quiet crisis is brewing in the human layer of software engineering. We are coding faster, but are we growing better?
This session moves beyond the hype of "10x engineers" to explore the real, friction-filled reality of working alongside AI.
First, we examine the Individual. As AI takes over execution, engineers face an identity crisis: "Am I still an expert if the machine writes the code?" We will discuss the danger of losing our "slow mode"—the deep, manual reasoning that builds true expertise—and how we must fight to remain architects of the solution, not just operators of the tool.
Second, we analyze the Team. Unchecked AI usage creates a dangerous asymmetry: the "Reviewer’s Burden," where instant code generation leads to exhausting, low-quality reviews. We will uncover how AI can create "silent silos" that kill mentorship and spontaneous collaboration, and offer strategies to ensure our tools amplify human connection rather than replace it.
Finally, we look to the Industry. Drawing on recent research regarding AI's impact on billions of lives, we will chart a path toward true symbiosis. The goal is not replacement, but a future where humans and AI systems working as a team achieve more than either could alone.
Join this talk to learn how to keep the "Human" in the loop—ensuring that as our tools get smarter, our engineers don't get left behind.
This session moves beyond the hype of "10x engineers" to explore the real, friction-filled reality of working alongside AI.
First, we examine the Individual. As AI takes over execution, engineers face an identity crisis: "Am I still an expert if the machine writes the code?" We will discuss the danger of losing our "slow mode"—the deep, manual reasoning that builds true expertise—and how we must fight to remain architects of the solution, not just operators of the tool.
Second, we analyze the Team. Unchecked AI usage creates a dangerous asymmetry: the "Reviewer’s Burden," where instant code generation leads to exhausting, low-quality reviews. We will uncover how AI can create "silent silos" that kill mentorship and spontaneous collaboration, and offer strategies to ensure our tools amplify human connection rather than replace it.
Finally, we look to the Industry. Drawing on recent research regarding AI's impact on billions of lives, we will chart a path toward true symbiosis. The goal is not replacement, but a future where humans and AI systems working as a team achieve more than either could alone.
Join this talk to learn how to keep the "Human" in the loop—ensuring that as our tools get smarter, our engineers don't get left behind.
Olena Babenko
Olena is a Staff Software Engineer standing at the intersection of data analytics, distributed systems, and modern AI. With over six years of deep experience in Apache Kafka and Apache Flink, she knows how to build the pipes that power data-driven decisions.
Today, Olena is an active advocate for production-grade AI. She moves beyond the hype to focus on the engineering reality: writing high-quality code, building robust automation, and ensuring AI systems are as reliable as the distributed architectures supporting them. Born in Ukraine and currently based in Finland, Olena has delivered results for everything from agile startups to global enterprises. She believes that the best way to grow is to share knowledge, helping the community bridge the gap between traditional data engineering and the AI boom.
Today, Olena is an active advocate for production-grade AI. She moves beyond the hype to focus on the engineering reality: writing high-quality code, building robust automation, and ensuring AI systems are as reliable as the distributed architectures supporting them. Born in Ukraine and currently based in Finland, Olena has delivered results for everything from agile startups to global enterprises. She believes that the best way to grow is to share knowledge, helping the community bridge the gap between traditional data engineering and the AI boom.
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