![[VDBUH2026] Victor Rentea - Kenote: AI Didn’t Replace You. It Promoted You! @DevoxxForever](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5hVlf9_G71Q/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We’ve always been rewarded for writing code, debugging systems, and mastering frameworks. But today, AI no longer just assists – it builds, analyzes, debugs, and reasons, so our role gets upgraded to shaping systems, taking decisions, and achieving outcomes. But as our attention moves away from code, how can we remain in control and keep the quality high? That’s the tension many senior engineers feel. This talk explores how AI agents can offload our chores, preserve our mental energy, and amplify our impact across the system—distilling lessons from early adopters of agentic engineering.
But this is not a talk about tools. It’s a talk about identity.
Because the real question today isn’t: “Will AI change my job?”
It’s: “Will I evolve fast enough to stay relevant?”
We’ve always been rewarded for writing code, debugging systems, and mastering frameworks. But today, AI no longer just assists – it builds, analyzes, debugs, and reasons, so our role gets upgraded to shaping systems, taking decisions, and achieving outcomes. But as our attention moves away from code, how can we remain in control and keep the quality high? That’s the tension many senior engineers feel. This talk explores how AI agents can offload our chores, preserve our mental energy, and amplify our impact across the system—distilling lessons from early adopters of agentic engineering.
But this is not a talk about tools. It’s a talk about identity.
Because the real question today isn’t: “Will AI change my job?”
It’s: “Will I evolve fast enough to stay relevant?”
![[VDBUH2026] Victor Rentea - Kenote: AI Didn’t Replace You. It Promoted You!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5hVlf9_G71Q/mqdefault.jpg "[VDBUH2026] Victor Rentea - Kenote: AI Didn’t Replace You. It Promoted You!
We’ve always been rewarded for writing code, debugging systems, and mastering frameworks. But today, AI no longer just assists – it builds, analyzes, debugs, and reasons, so our role gets upgraded to shaping systems, taking decisions, and achieving outcomes. But as our attention moves away from code, how can we remain in control and keep the quality high? That’s the tension many senior engineers feel. This talk explores how AI agents can offload our chores, preserve our mental energy, and amplify our impact across the system—distilling lessons from early adopters of agentic engineering.
But this is not a talk about tools. It’s a talk about identity.
Because the real question today isn’t: “Will AI change my job?”
It’s: “Will I evolve fast enough to stay relevant?”")
