Whether you're experimenting with AI coding assistants or managing teams that use them, understanding "vibe coding" is essential to navigating software development in 2026. This talk decodes the shift from autocomplete to autonomous agents, examining how developers went from tab completion to directing parallel AI workers overnight. You'll gain a clear framework for the 10 key capabilities developers now demand—from background agents and persistent memory to multi-agent orchestration and rollback systems—along with practical insights into which tools deliver and which fall short based on real practitioner feedback. Beyond the hype, you'll learn to navigate the defining tension shaping the market: the battle between human-in-loop control (audit trails, permissions, safety) and vibe coding's "trust the output, not the process" philosophy. Through examples like Ralph Wiggum's contextual pressure cooker, Gas Town's agent orchestration, and emerging patterns in spec-driven development, you'll understand where the ecosystem is headed and how to make informed decisions about adopting, managing, or building AI-assisted development tools. Whether you're a hands-on developer, engineering leader, or product strategist, you'll leave with a pragmatic understanding of what actually matters in this rapidly evolving space—and what's just noise.

The panel "Will AI Change Who Gets to Be a Developer?" explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the developer landscape. As AI tools become increasingly integrated into software development, they have the potential to democratize access to programming by simplifying complex tasks and enabling individuals without traditional coding backgrounds to create and innovate. This discussion will analyze both the opportunities and challenges presented by AI in reducing barriers to entry, the evolving skill sets required for modern developers, and the implications for diversity within the tech industry. Join us as we delve into the future of development and the shifting paradigm of who can participate in this dynamic field. And yes, AI wrote this abstract.