A reflection on how views on generative AI have shifted over the past year, framed as a hypothetical SRECon26 keynote. The author, who co-delivered a cautious 'don't be reflexively antagonistic' message at SRECon25, now fully acknowledges that AI has fundamentally changed software development and the shift is accelerating. The new message for SREs: stop waiting for change to arrive, actively engage with AI tools, know your own cognitive biases, avoid both panic and blind optimism, and lean into outcome-oriented thinking. SREs are well-positioned for this era because they've always been judged by results rather than craft, making them natural builders of AI guardrails and reliability systems.
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I came out of a hole, and the world had changedWhen the facts change, I change my mindThe keynote I would give todayWe are all technologists nowThis is the moment for pragmatistsSort: