Panel: Generative AI & Developer Happiness

Last year, NYC.rb members pondered, "Is Ruby on its way to obsolescence?" This year, the burning question is, "When will AI take over as programmers?"

Generative AI has infiltrated all aspects of software development - from coding suggestions in our IDEs to auto-generated tests. Will this AI revolution render human programmers obsolete? Or can it actually elevate the programming experience? Let's delve into one of Ruby's key philosophies: Developer Happiness.

Can programmers and tech leaders harness the power of Generative AI to enhance Developer Happiness? Is this cutting-edge technology already contributing to greater satisfaction among developers? Or is it instigating a decline in Developer Happiness?

Join us for an insightful panel discussion featuring a diverse array of industry leaders as we dive deep into the intersection of Generative AI and Developer Happiness.

Panelist Biographies

• Andrew Berkowitz is an Engineering Leader with more than a decade of experience helping others succeed, and helping computers succeed at doing what he wants. He has an eclectic set of experiences solving problems in mobile apps, robotics (both empathetic, and violent), teaching, healthcare, biotech, and HR. He has not yet walked more than 46 miles in one day, but with ChatGPT anything is possible.
• Manuel Odendahl's passion for programming began at the young age of 6. He started tinkering with languages ranging from assembly to Common Lisp as a teenager. Although he has a soft spot for Lisp, over the years Manuel has embraced practical languages like PHP and Go that get the job done in his day-to-day work. Manuel feels most at home building backends and embedded systems, but he has explored diverse fields including quantum cryptography, 3D printing, and music tech. He has a special fondness for ecommerce, logistics, and accounting. Since GitHub Copilot became available, Manuel has been fascinated with large language models and believes they directly tap into developers' creativity and increase developer happiness. You can contact him at: https://hachyderm.io/@mnl (mastodon) - https://the.scapegoat.dev/ (blog) - https://github.com/wesen (github)
• Eitan is a Software Engineer with a track record of solving deep technical problems for web scale systems. He prides himself on the ability to apply computer science fundamentals to business problems.
• TBA
• TBA

Agenda
(all in Eastern Time zone)

• 5:30pm Meeting start, welcome
• 5:40pm First time attendees introductions, ice breaker
• 6:00pm Panel start
• 7:00pm Jobs & Hiring Announcements