New Year, New AI Challenges

Happy New Year ?? 2025 is off to a busy start and I'll be doing quite a bit of traveling so I really hope to meet and catch up with as many of you as possible! Be sure to check out my upcoming events at the end of the newsletter.

Is Your Company Ready for AI?

Cisco recently published their annual AI Readiness Index and it's filled with interesting revelations about enterprise companies' state of readiness when it comes to embracing AI. I've shared my thoughts and experience for any leaders who are looking to shift the culture within their company. [~6m]

Opportunities and Risks of AI for Developers

I had a wonderful conversation with Chris Heilmann, Kent C. Dodds, and Liran Tal about opportunities but also risks that developers may face when using AI. We discussed topics such as AI in content creation, security risks, the impact of AI on jobs, and the future of AI development. [~35m]

Wait, are we just handing over system access to the AI agents?

Speaking of security in AI... Microsoft Distinguished Engineer, David Fowler, started a discussion about security and authentication with AI agents and it's something that has been on my mind as well. The AI space is moving really fast but we really need to take a beat to make sure we're not opening up pandora's box.

This week, Cisco announced AI Defense - a product designed to safeguard against threats in both developing and using AI tools. This looks very promising.

#TechGirlWorldTour: My Upcoming Events

• JChampions Conference, January 23-24, 27-28, Virtual. Java devs, have you signed up for the JChampions Conference yet? It's free, virtual, and covers the latest in Java from leading experts. I'll be tuned in!
• All Things Open AI, March 17-18, Durham, NC, USA. All Things Open is one of my favorite conferences mainly because of the super friendly vibes and the focus on what's new in open source. This smaller event is focused on AI in open source which is music to my ears. I won't be speaking at this one but will be in attendance. This is one of the more affordable conferences out there, so if you've been wanting to learn about AI, this is a great opportunity to do so.
• Selenium & Appium Conference, March 26-28, Valencia, Spain. I'm excited to take the stage at this year's conference where I'll give a keynote titled "Air Fryers, Automation, and AI" - which is sure to be a treat.
• dotJS, April 3, Paris, France. I'm heading to the City of Light to speak at "the world's sharpest JavaScript conference". They have an amazing lineup including Sarah Drasner and Wes Bos. So I'll definitely need to bring my A game!
• RenderATL, June 11-13, Atlanta. This is the coolest software conference around! While I'm not speaking this year, I wouldn't miss it.
• MoT Athens, June 26, Athens, Greece. This summer I'll be speaking in Athens for Ministry of Testing's big annual meetup! This is a free community event so if you're in the area, you should definitely attend.
• WeAreDevelopers World Congress, July 9-11, Berlin, Germany. I'm rejoining the congress this summer! This event is massive and covers a wide array of software topics.

Hope to see you all soon, whether in person or online! ??

~Angie