Working faster with AI coding agents without losing control

AI coding agents are becoming part of everyday software development. Using them well means understanding how they work, knowing where they help, questioning their output when needed and staying in control.

In this tech talk, Ivan Mihov, senior software engineer in the News UK Tech dedicated team at Nortal Bulgaria, will share his approach to working with coding agents, focusing on finding the right balance between development speed and engineering judgment. He will look beyond the hype around vibe coding and explore a more structured way of using AI in software development.

Ivan will introduce Claude Code, one of the most discussed AI coding tools today, and explain how AI agents work as software systems. Attendees will also see an example of a small project built using a spec-driven workflow where the engineer remains responsible for guiding and validating every step.

Validation is where engineering judgment matters most. During the presentation, Ivan will show why human review remains essential, both when using AI coding systems and in broader AI applications. He'll offer a practical engineering perspective on how to use AI tools with a clear sense of ownership over the result.

Join us for an in-depth discussion on building software with AI coding agents, what works today, where the limits are, and how to use these tools with confidence while staying responsible for the outcome.