Keynote: A Case for Technical Excellence
One of the (most overlooked) principles of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development is that “Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility”. All too often, work that focuses on addressing technical issues is deprioritised in the name of focusing on business value. Is there a case for technical excellence — in code, in architecture, in people — beyond its appearance on a might-as-well-be-hidden page on a manifesto that’s over two decades old? Is technical excellence only the concern of technical roles? Is a good design in conflict with business value or a vehicle for it?
This keynote looks to go beyond buzzwords to build a case for technical excellence that appeals to all roles in a development organisation, noting that “The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams”.
Speaker: Kevlin Henney
Thought leader, international keynote speaker, author, mentor, consultant, software developer at Curbalan
Full Speaker Lineup
Locknote: Building Trust in Agentic AI Through Evaluation
The field of AI is evolving from simple automation to autonomous decision-making, but trust remains the biggest barrier to adoption. How do we ensure that Agentic AI workflows are not only intelligent but also fair, transparent, and reliable? Traditional metrics like accuracy aren’t enough when is continuous learning and adapting.
We’ll explore why evaluating Agentic AI goes beyond performance. We’ll dive into real-world challenges, from hidden biases to dynamic behaviors. We’ll discuss evaluation frameworks to measure fairness, decision-making quality, and goal alignment, ensuring it remains trustworthy and effective. By the end, we’ll have a clear path towards Agentic AI workflows that are not just powerful, but trustworthy
Speaker: Claudia De Jeu Boronat
Lead Machine Learning Engineer at WTW with a passion for pushing the boundaries of AI. Her expertise spans Generative AI, Agentic AI, Drift Detection, and Computer Vision between others. Thriving to drive innovation and create real impact.