> Markdown version of [/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1255-pair-programming](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1255-pair-programming). 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).

---

# Pair Programming with Generative Agents: Refactoring Legacy Android at Speed


- **Date:** Friday, Jul 10, 2026
- **Time:** 10:20–10:50 (30 min)
- **Room:** Stage 12
- **Event:** World Congress 2026 Europe

## Recording

[Watch recording](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100224-pair-programming-with-generative-agents-refactoring-legacy-android-at-speed)

## Description

We've all heard the promise of AI affecting how we code, but what does it look like in the trenches of a real-world refactor? In this talk, I walk through the transformation of "Upnext," an established Android codebase, achieved through deep collaboration with an advanced AI agent ("Antigravity").

We didn't just generate boilerplate. We tackled complex architectural shifts: migrating to Type-Safe Navigation 3, implementing Adaptive layouts with ListDetailPaneScaffold, and modernizing a broken CI/CD pipeline. I will demonstrate how agentic AI can act as a true pair programmer—debugging obscure Hilt/KSP conflicts, writing robust Fastlane scripts, and essentially "un-breaking" the build. Come see the future of workflow, where the developer directs the symphony and the AI handles the heavy lifting of modernization.

## Speaker

### [Ahmed Tikiwa](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@ahmed-tikiwa)

Senior Software Engineer at Disney


## Related talks at this congress

- [Xcode development redefAIned](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1229-xcode-development) — MIlan Todorović
- [Refactoring in the Age of AI](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1254-refactoring-in-the) — Dominik Srednicki, Elena Lucarelli
- [Building the next generation of AI developer tools](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1074-building-the-next) — Krzysztof Cieślak
- [Building the Future of Java: AI Agents, MCP, and Next-Gen App Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/events/world-congress-2026-europe/sessions/1267-building-the-future) — Daniel Oh