Modernizing your software isn’t just about upgrading your servers or moving to the cloud. Now it involves integrating AI into your technology and workflows. CTOs and CEOs need to understand the intersection of AI, the modernization of tech stacks, and the developer experience.
AI transforms the modernization process from a daunting overhaul into a strategic evolution—making your software smarter, your team happier, and your results more impactful.
We got Jimmy Jacobson (CTO), Zachary Burkett (senior AI/ML engineer), and Lauren Mason Carris (senior product consultant) together to talk about AI and modernization.
They cover:
- How AI is transforming products, internal developer workflows, and modernization strategies.
- Tools like GitHub Copilot, TensorBoard, and locally run AI models are essential for productivity and privacy.
- How companies must balance AI tools while maintaining data security.
- AI enhances developer experience (DX) and reduces onboarding friction in legacy systems.
- Live GitHub Copilot coding demo at 17:13
Make sure to watch Zachary’s live AI coding demo with GitHub Copilot at 17:13!
Watch talk on AI modernization
Or read through an outline of the conversation below.
AI trends and business challenges
- Many business leaders are unsure how AI fits into their workflows but fear missing out.
- Codingscape assists clients with AI strategy validation, proofs of concept, and integration into existing systems.
- Developers often face anxiety around adopting AI tools in day-to-day workflows.
Implementation insights from the trenches
- Zachary shared how AI tools, like large language models, are transparently enhancing search features and improving results.
- AI solutions are often suggested by Codingscape during system reviews, even when clients haven't explicitly asked for them.
- Developers often need support with modernizing older systems to make them accessible and maintainable.
AI in modernization strategy
- Modernization refers to transitioning legacy systems to the cloud, improving user experience, and enhancing functionality with context-aware search and tagging.
- AI helps fill documentation gaps in legacy systems using generative models to map code architecture and decision history.
- Visualization tools, like dependency charts and diagrams, streamline the understanding of legacy systems for modernization efforts.
Developer experience and AI tools
- AI isn't replacing developers but enhancing their productivity and creativity.
- Tools like GitHub Copilot and TensorBoard streamline workflows, generate boilerplate code, and optimize experimentation with AI models.
- Developers must still verify AI-generated code and refine prompts intelligently.
Live coding demo by Z
- Z demonstrated building an AI model for image classification using PyTorch and GitHub Copilot.
- He showed how to iterate on optimizers, visualize model performance, and improve accuracy efficiently.
- The demo highlighted the role of AI as an assistant rather than a replacement in developer workflows.
Data privacy and security concerns
- Concerns about proprietary code being exposed through AI tools are valid.
- Solutions include using locally hosted AI models, like LLaMA and CodeLLama, or managed cloud services with strict data governance.
- Open-source AI models can be run locally for privacy-sensitive tasks.
Recommended AI tools and resources
- Top models include LLaMA, Qwen, and tools from the Hugging Face ecosystem.
- Visualization tools like Mermaid are useful for diagrams and flowcharts.
- Emerging tools, like OpenAI’s Canvas, enable interactive code and document editing.
Favorite party tricks with AI
- Z enjoys analyzing aviation dashboards using AI vision models and tracking increases in accuracy with his Dad.
- Jimmy creates AI-generated celebratory images for friends and family.
- Lauren curates personalized AI-generated birthday image collections.
Want expert help with AI and tech stack modernization?
Codingscape has the experts that CTOs and CEOs want to partner with on modernization initiatives. We can assemble senior software engineering teams and start delivering results in 4-6 weeks.
Zappos, Twilio, and Veho are just a few companies that trust us to modernize their tech stacks.
You can schedule a time to talk with us here. No hassle, no expectations, just answers.
