Can an artificial intelligence complement you as a developer? Romilly Cocking guides you safely through the minefield.
Speaker
Romilly Cocking
Agenda
18:00: doors open for networking and refreshments
18:30: presentation begins, with interactive exercises towards the end
20:00: pizzas arrive, end of session
20:45: everyone out (adjourn to The Old Dr Butler's Head if desired)
Synopsis
Romilly started using AI to help him code in April 2023, and he'll be talking about the projects he's built since then. He's built software to help him with his research, including tools to build, manage and access a personal library of over 10,000 PDF files.
He's also been using AI coding agents to build a platform for creating and delivering online courses.
He'll finish his talk with some tips on the value of AI coding agents: when you should _not_ use them, and how to use them effectively when you do.
The session will wrap up with some fun team-based activities in which you'll tackle some code-related tasks with ChatGPT and/or Anthropic Claude (Sonnet).
About the speaker
Romilly wrote his first programme for the Ferranti Pegasus in 1958 at the age of 11. In 1966, before starting University, he joined a compiler team at the University of London Institute of Computer science, working on a compiler using Booker and Morris's compiler-compiler on the London Atlas.
in 1968, during a vacation job at Imperial College, he experimented with IBM's Computer Based Training program Course-Writer II on the IBM 1401. In 1974 he took an MSc at Birkbeck College in London.
His research project involved simulating a neural network based on Marr's model of the cerebellar cortex. In 1975 he co-founded Cocking and Drury, which became the largest APL software house in the UK. In 1987 he started programming in Smalltalk.
In the 1990s he developed, coached and taught a generation of programmers about Object Orientation in both Smalltalk and Java. In 2002 he discovered XP and joined the BCS Object Oriented Programming and Systems specialist group, which later became SPA. He thought he had retired in 2008, but he started work again in 2012 developing add-on boards for the projected Raspberry Pi computer just in time for its launch in 2014.
In the 2020s he's been working on AI, coding agents and courseware to teach TDD. Believe it or not, he has interests other than IT! He loves walking near his home in Suffolk, enjoys good food and wine, loves music and reads lots of golden age detective stories.
Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.
BCS is a membership organisation. If you enjoy this event, please consider joining BCS. You’ll be very welcome. You’ll receive access to many exclusive career development tools, an introduction to a thriving professional community and also help us Make IT Good For Society. Join BCS today
If you are attending in person, please familiarise yourself with the Visitor Instructions for the BCS London Office.
Please note: if you have any accessibility needs, please let us know via groups@bcs.uk and we’ll work with you to make suitable arrangements.
For overseas delegates who wish to attend the event, please note that BCS does not issue invitation letters.
This event is brought to you by: Software Practice Advancement (SPA)
