Tech Talk: AI in Practice with Bethany Janos

How can developers use AI effectively without losing sight of the fundamentals?

AI is changing how software is built and how developers approach everyday problems. For students and early-career engineers, keeping up with new tools and practices can feel overwhelming. Understanding how the industry has evolved and learning to make thoughtful decisions about AI can help you adapt and build skills that last.

Our guest speaker, Bethany Janos, is a senior software engineer at GitHub who works on the backend systems powering Copilot chat and agents. Since starting her career in 2018, she has built backend systems across different products and teams. She is also passionate about mentoring students and helping new developers build the technical skills and confidence they need to succeed.

In this live Tech Talk, Bethany will explore practical approaches to working with AI in software engineering. She will cover a brief history of the field, explain harnesses and why they matter, and introduce MCPs, plugins, skills, and the concept of tokenmaxxing. She will also discuss when AI can be useful and when it is better to set it aside.

You will gain a clearer understanding of the tools and workflows shaping AI-assisted development and how to make informed decisions about using them. You will also learn what to consider as you build your skills and prepare for a software industry that continues to evolve.

Bring your questions and curiosity about AI! Follow along with Bethany as she unpacks these tools and approaches, and think about how you can use them in your own learning and development projects.

Join us on Friday, November 6 at 1 PM PT | 3 PM CT | 4 PM ET and save your spot now to explore practical ways to work with AI and prepare for the future of software engineering.