Beyond the Code: Human-AI Synergies in Product Development
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Ajita Kanchivakam Ananth
Google
Staff Technical Program Manager
Debashis Saha
Senior Vice President, Technology · Expedia Group
Julia Elliott
Vice President, Technology and Chief of Staff · Expedia Group
Travel is a complex industry, and at Expedia Group that complexity is becoming a proving ground for AI-enabled innovation and a new kind of engineering leadership. In this fireside chat, Expedia Group engineering leaders share how they are rethinking the software development lifecycle in the AI era — from early AI tooling adoption toward connected, purpose-built agentic systems. They’ll discuss what is changing in practice: how AI is helping teams ship higher-quality experiences faster, how smaller teams are delivering work in fewer sprints, and how impact is being measured through cycle times, velocity, output, and business outcomes—not adoption alone. They’ll also explore the next phase of Expedia Group’s AI strategy: agents inside Expedia Group that help employees move faster, supported by responsible AI guardrails and a flexible technology foundation. Come for a grounded, practitioner’s view of leading as the stack and tooling evolve at a breakneck pace.
World Congress 2026 North America
Ajita Kanchivakam Ananth
Staff Technical Program Manager
Ranjan Parthasarathy
AXIOMSTUDIO.AI
Founder & CPTO/CEO
Priyanka Vergadia
Cloud Girl
Founder
John Komarnicki
Code & Coffee
National Executive Advisor