New voices

Felix Aldam-Gates: Anyone can buy a chainsaw

As coding languages get more human readable and writable and AI tools become more easily available, roles that were once non-technical are starting to utilise the power tools of computers: coding languages. This talk focuses on some roles that demand writing code, managing data and automating workflows despite having no formal training in Software Engineering. When teams function like software engineering groups but lack the foundational practices and tools to ensure reliability, maintainability, and security, the consequences include inefficiencies, avoidable errors, and an unmanaged technical debt machine. This talk explores the challenges for software engineers that could bridge the gap between necessity and expertise, hoping we can ensure decades of software engineering progress aren't lost.

Bio: Felix Aldam-Gates is a problem-driven Software Engineer who has worked at the Office for National Statistics for the last 4 years. He enjoys bodging technology together in unnecessary and petty ways to address real life problems: for example, creating an IoT system that shamed housemates for using the hot and cold taps when the shower is in use. Felix has also been involved in extracurricular activities, such as serving as the President of the Judo Society, helping run FLL (a Lego competition held for local primary schools) and being a University Ambassador on open days.

Connor Brook: How to Think Like a Programmer

Programming is structured problem-solving. The best programmers don't just write code: they think clearly, break problems down, and avoid unnecessary complexity. This talk explores ways to approach programming with better structure and reasoning. It will introduce practical ideas to help you recognise common mistakes, refine your problem-solving process, and write code that works - by thinking about how you think.

Bio: Connor is an AI Engineer with a strong background in software engineering and deep learning theory. He got into machine learning through self-directed study and now works on machine learning systems and data pipelines, focusing on writing clear, reliable code. He's interested in how we think about problems and how our understanding shapes the way we write software. His approach is more intuitive than formal, always looking for the underlying structure rather than relying on rigid methods. He's particularly curious about intelligence itself, both artificial and human, and how we can build systems that reflect deeper patterns of reasoning.

Sam Drage: Where does AI fit on the spectrum of accessibility and difficulty aides?

Accessibility and difficulty can be seen as two sides of the same coin. This can be illustrated, for example, in the properties of a book. The subject matter, jargon, prerequisite knowledge, and density of ideas is the difficulty, whilst the line length, font size and choice, page texture, and line spacing is the accessibility. A children’s book can be rendered unreadable by poor font choice, whilst a beautifully laid out book on quantum physics can be made illegible by overuse of jargon. By examining three different applications of AI and where they land in the difficulty vs accessibility discussion - as well as looking at a case study of AI misuse from 2024 (the cancelling of the annual NaNoWriMo challenge/competition) - this talk aims to emphasise the importance of asking such difficult questions, especially when it concerns radical and disruptive technology such as AI.

Bio: Currently working for Habitat Learn Ltd. as a Full Stack Developer, Sam earned his Computer Science BSc in 2022 before completing a Computer Games Technology MSc in 2023, both at the University of Portsmouth. He sees computers as a tool for societal change and improvement, and advocates for responsible application of new technologies with regard to social, environmental, and political impact.

Liam Varney: Log4j: A Placement Student's Baptism by Fire

This talk recounts a firsthand experience with the Log4j vulnerability during an IT risk and security placement at a major car company. Witness the chaos as a seemingly innocuous dependency triggered a frantic, company-wide response. Learn how a single line of code exposed the complexities of dependency management and the real-world impact of open-source vulnerabilities, all from the perspective of a student thrown into the deep end.

Liam, a 2023 University of Portsmouth graduate in Cyber Security, works as a Cyber Security Engineer at Stripe OLT. His experience includes a placement year in cyber security and a graduate year in systems engineering. Focusing on DevSecOps and enabling secure development, Liam bridges the gap between software engineering and cyber security. Liam feels the frustrations of both developers and security teams. He's experienced firsthand the impact of restrictive security measures, and the challenge of implementing necessary controls, providing a unique perspective on building effective security practices.