How we built an AI-powered code reviewer in 80 hours

How hard can it be to build an AI-powered code reviewer using modern LLMs? Easier than you think—until it isn’t.

In late 2024, I helped a client launch an AI-powered code reviewer. We built the initial prototype in the first few hours. But we soon encountered many unexpected challenges as we tried to productionize the idea into a coherent user experience.

In this session, let me tell you the surprises, challenges, and lessons learned from building an AI-powered code reviewer and what it tells us about the current state of LLM technologies.