Asynchronous & Unreliable - Conversations on The Edge of Software

Ep 9: Anne and Jamie Dobson - Can Tech Learn Lessons From History?

Jamie Dobson and Anne Currie Join us in this enlightening episode as Anne Currie chats with Jamie Dobson, co-founder of Container Solutions and author of Rebels, Visionaries, and Machines. They dive into the history of technology, the evolution of the tech industry, and the challenges and opportunities in communicating complex ideas in tech today. This conversation offers valuable insights for tech enthusiasts, educators, and communicators alike. Key Topics Covered: * The history of cloud computing and its cultural impact since 1799 * How tech conferences like Software Circus aimed to reshape industry conversations * The ethical and social implications of AI and automation in the workforce * The importance of understanding problem context before choosing tools * Strategies for explaining complex technical ideas without oversimplification * Lessons from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein applied to tech ethics and responsibility * The challenge of capturing audience attention in storytelling and education * How to communicate the essence of microservices, patterns, and cloud-native concepts effectively * Reflecting on the role of stories and analogies in making tech more accessible #tech #AI #techconferences #cloudnative #techcommunications

Ep 8: Anne & Jon Berger - When Will AI Write All The (Mission Critical) Software?

Most companies are underestimating how quickly AI will transform software development. When AI can seemingly write mission-critical code, what does that mean for the future of engineering, quality, and human expertise? Anne Currie and Jon Berger discuss Martin Davidson’s groundbreaking insights in episode 7 on creating mission critical software using AI [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-e7] Will AI-driven software eliminate the need for traditional coding teams alogether? Is all the system software going to get re-written in Rust? What about maintenance and operations? Shownotes & transcript [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-episode-8] #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems #rustlang

Ep 7: Anne & Martin Davidson - Can AI Ever Create Mission Critical Software?

Join host Anne Currie in this episode of "Asynchronous and Unreliable," where she talks with veteran technologist Martin Davidson about his journey from telecommunications to AI-driven software development. Discover how AI looks set to reshape the software industry, including by building high-quality, production-ready code and redefining testing, design, and organizational structures. - Martin Davidson’s career evolution from high-resilience telco software to AI and machine learning  - The concept of oracle-driven development for AI-generated code quality  - Practical experimentation with rewriting libraries and building emulators in Rust using AI - The extension of traditional unit testing to fuzz testing, differential testing, and other AI-powered validation  - The importance of defining success criteria ("what good looks like") upfront in AI projects  - Parallelization strategies in AI and software architectures: from agents to cores and teams  - Organizational implications of AI-driven productivity increases and automation  - Future outlook for legacy software companies amid AI disruptions  - The cultural and economic impacts of AI on software engineering careers and industry stability #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems shownotes and transcript: https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-e7 [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-e7]

Ep 6: Anne Currie & Sara Bergman - What Does The Energy Transition Mean for Software?

SHOWNOTES Discover how the rapid shift from fossil fuels to renewables, especially solar and wind, is shaping the tech industry and global economy. Hosted by Anne Currie and Sara Bergman, this episode explores the exponential growth of renewable energy, the role of software in optimizing energy use, and the geopolitical and environmental implications of this transition. Main insights: * The exponential rise of solar energy generation and its implications * The importance of grid management and energy storage solutions in a renewable-powered world * How different countries are adopting strategies like East-West data centers in China and time-of-use tariffs in India to optimize renewable energy consumption * The role of software in enabling carbon-aware computing and energy efficiency * Challenges and opportunities of integrating variable renewable sources into the energy mix * The historical context of fossil fuels as first gear in industrial development and the move towards more complex, resilient energy systems * Innovations like balcony solar panels and plug-in solar devices, and their potential for widespread adoption * The geopolitical considerations, including nuclear debates in Sweden and France's energy independence * How increasing renewable infrastructure can accelerate economic development, especially in Africa [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-episode-6-transcript] Shownotes and transcript [https://www.asynchronousunreliable.com/asynchronous-and-unreliable-episode-6-transcript] #tech #podcast #softwareengineering #AI #sustainability #green #software #distributedsystems

Ep 5: Anne Currie & Jon Berger on systems resilience. What's it like to deliver 6 nines resilience?

Anne & networking expert Jon Berger discuss the difficulties of understanding exponentials and how that leads to challenges  when it comes to setting targets for both resilience and efficiency. If you wonder why people have no real clue about the nines resilience scale, this is why.