How should software engineering evolve for the age of AI? As organizations rush to weave GenAI and agentic AI into every product and workflow, engineering teams face a new reality: you can’t scale AI without redesigning how software gets built.
In this episode, Gartner experts Manjunath Bhat, Akis Sklavounakis and Shameen Pillai break down what that redesign actually looks like. They’ll explore the team structures that help scale GenAI to repeatable delivery, the platform patterns that reduce cognitive load and drive value, and the API strategies that AI implementation can’t function without.
You’ll learn:
Why Scaling GenAI Is So Hard
The Four Team Topologies That Make AI Work
Platform Engineering: Fighting Cognitive Load
No AI Without APIs
The API Maturity Model
Manjunath Bhat | Distinguished VP Analyst
Manjunath (Manju) Bhat is a Distinguished Research VP and Gartner Fellow in the software engineering practice based in Sydney. He covers technologies and practices that span software engineering, AI engineering, security engineering and platform engineering. Manju views the impact of Generative AI on software engineering through two perspectives - building intelligent DevSecOps pipelines for zero-friction software delivery and building intelligent applications and the agent development life cycle. He has led foundational work and launched new markets and hype cycles - examples include Eval-driven development, AI evaluations and observability platforms, optimizing costs and reliability using AI Gateways, AI-native software software engineering, future of software engineering 2030, market guide for software supply chain security, Magic Quadrant for DevOps Platforms (2023) and Hype Cycle for Platform Engineering (2024).
Akis Sklavounakis | Sr Director Analyst
Akis Sklavounakis' research focuses on helping software engineering leaders and CIOs with their mission-critical priorities. His current research interests are on improving consistency and reliability of Generative AI outputs and value delivered from AI agents and agentic workflows, through better context engineering. He is working with CIOs on Buy and Build decisions. He is advising leaders on proven practices to implement Agile, DevOps, and transform their organizations from project-based delivery to product-centric delivery. He helps software engineering leaders with ways to improve developer productivity, developer experience and implement platform engineering, in order to successfully deliver and scale digital products and services. As a leader for research at the intersection of software engineering, applications and CIO leadership at Gartner, he works with a number of expert analysts and researchers in delivering thought-leading, practical, and actionable content to Gartner clients on topics such as: The impact of generative AI on work practices, attracting, developing and retaining great software engineering talent, organization design and structures, leadership communications and stakeholder management, agile product delivery, product and platform strategy, product management and operating models for high-quality software. Mr. Sklavounakis has extensive product delivery and organizational transformation experience as a delivery head and coach, leading client delivery teams and managing solutions delivery in the online services, electronic payments, financial services and banking sectors.
Shameen Pillai | Sr Director Analyst
Shameen Pillai is an analyst in the Software Engineering Leaders research group focusing on APIs and integration technologies for IT and digital leaders. He advises clients on emerging AI trends and Agentic technologies as well as establishing, managing and modernizing technology portfolios involving core system integrations. Mr. Pillai has deep and broad technical experience and exposure to API management and governance, integration architectures such as ESB, SOA, microservices, B2B and related technologies as well as IT leadership experience around strategy, organization building, road map, development, execution and operations.
Hosted by: Karen Lockhart
Gartner ThinkCast puts you at the intersection of business and technology with insights from the top experts on how to build a more successful organization, team and career in the digital era. Join us to get your competitive advantage.
Thank you for listening to Gartner ThinkCast. Please rate, review and share with your colleagues.
All content on Gartner ThinkCast is owned by Gartner and cannot be repurposed or reproduced without Gartner’s consent.
Gartner is an impartial, independent analyst and advisor. All content provided by other speakers is expressly the views of those speakers and their enterprises. The information on Gartner ThinkCast should not be construed as a Gartner endorsement of any enterprise’s products or services.
