[Talk::Overflow #11] - Your AI Engineering Game Just Leveled Up: AI Engineer Summit 2025 Day 2
✍️ Curated by ValPetal Tech Labs
Day 2 of the AI Engineer Summit 2025 was an absolute masterclass in Agent Engineering! We witnessed groundbreaking advancements in autonomous AI agents, explored battle-tested strategies for building bulletproof AI systems, and took deep dives into the future-proof infrastructure powering it all. It was intense, it was inspiring, and it was packed with actionable insights.
I've meticulously curated 5 standout talks that are not just essential viewing, but game-changers for any ambitious AI engineer. Trust me, you'll want to clear your schedule for these. Let's dive in 👇
Your Must-Watch List: 5 Game-Changing Talks from Day 2
These aren't just talks; they're blueprints for the future of AI engineering. Get ready to have your mind blown and your skillset upgraded.
1. Why Agent Engineering - swyx [11.44 m]
Why watch: This talk explains why we are all in on Agent Engineering in 2025. This is crucial for understanding the paradigm shift happening in AI development and why autonomous agents are the next frontier.
Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SWoBIvTQu__uNEvSawmNcROiUx-n86O_fP0arZcTGb8/edit
2. Building and evaluating AI Agents — Sayash Kapoor, AI Snake Oil [19.59 m]
Why watch: This talk explore how current agents fall far short of their claimed performance in the real world and understand best practices for improving agent evaluation. Learn how to avoid known pitfalls and build AI agents that actually matter.
3. Thinking Deeper in Gemini — Jack Rae, Google DeepMind [18.12 m]
Why watch: Get an exclusive look into the cutting-edge research behind Gemini, one of the most advanced AI models. This talk explores the deep technical challenges and breakthroughs in developing highly capable AI systems.
4. How We Build Effective Agents: Barry Zhang, Anthropic [15.09 m]
Why watch: Learn directly from Anthropic, a leading AI research company, about their methodologies and best practices for constructing effective and robust AI agents. This is a rare opportunity to gain insights from the forefront of AI development.
5. The Agent Development Life Cycle — Zack Reneau-Wedeen, Sierra [18.40 m]
Why watch: Sierra presents a comprehensive overview of the agent development life cycle, from conception to deployment and maintenance. This talk is essential for anyone looking to streamline their AI agent projects and ensure long-term success.
All Other Essential Talks from Day 2
Beyond the top 5, Day 2 was brimming with incredible insights.
Here’s a comprehensive list of all the other talks, each a valuable piece of the AI engineering puzzle. Dive in and keep learning!
1.Reinforcement Learning for Agents - Will Brown, ML Researcher at Morgan Stanley - Link to Video
2.AI Engineering at Jane Street - John Crepezzi - Link to Video
8.Scaling Agents for Gen AI Products - Anju Kambadur, Bloomberg Head of AI Engineering- Link to Video
9.Trust, but Verify: Knowledge Agents for Finance Workflows - Mike Conover - Link to Video
10.Windsurf: Agents are built at the fringe: getting from 90 to 100 - Link to Video
11.Voice Agent Engineering — Nik Caryotakis, SuperDial - Link to Video
12.Finetuning: 500m AI agents in production with 2 engineers — Mustafa Ali & Kyle Corbitt- Link to Video
13.Rethinking how we Scaffold AI Agents - Rahul Sengottuvelu, Ramp - Link to Video
14.Creating Agents that Co-Create — Karina Nguyen, OpenAI - Link to Video
15.AI Engineers: The Next Generation — Stefania Druga, Google Gemini - Link to Video
16.Personal, Local, Private AI Agents: Soumith Chintala - Link to Video
Stay Sharp, Stay Ahead
You’ve just read Talk::Overflow #11 — your weekly dose of standout developer talks from the best tech conferences around the world to your inbox. We’re here to help you cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters.
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