> Markdown version of [/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1114-code-is-cheap](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1114-code-is-cheap). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Code Is Cheap. Software Isn’t. - **Date:** Friday, Jul 10, 2026 - **Time:** 11:00–11:30 (30 min) - **Room:** Stage 9 - **Event:** World Congress 2026 Europe ## Recording [Watch recording](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100236-code-is-cheap-software-isn-t) ## Description AI can now write code faster than most developers can review it. That sounds like progress. In many teams, it isn’t. In real Java systems, the problem was never writing code. The problem was always understanding what the system should do, how it behaves under pressure, and what breaks when things change. AI didn’t solve that. It made it easier to ignore. Let’s focus on what actually works when you bring AI into large, long-lived codebases. You will see how to use tools like IBM Bob without losing control of your system: define intent before implementation, constrain changes, keep work small, and treat generated code like a pull request from a teammate you don’t fully trust yet. Because here is the reality. Code is cheap now. Software is not. The cost of mistakes, maintenance, and complexity is exactly where it has always been. You just get there a lot faster now. If you build Java systems and care about reliability, clarity, and long-term maintainability, I will show you how to use AI as a helpful tool instead of a liability. ## Speaker ### [Markus Eisele](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@markus-eisele) AI Developer Strategist at IBM ## Related talks at this congress - [Why your codebase lies to AI?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1306-why-your-codebase) — Zaak Chalal - [AI Wrote the Code. Now What?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1473-ai-wrote-the-code) — Jyoti Bansal, Daniel Gebler - [Your AI Ships Code Faster Than Anyone Can Review It](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1123-your-ai-ships-code) — Rasmus Klärck - [Back to the Roots: Testing in the Age of AI](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1013-back-to-the-roots) — Jakub Janczyk