# GopherCon UK 2026

DevFeed: [GopherCon UK 2026](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/gophercon-uk-2026-53092.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.jvt.me/posts/2026/08/14/gophercon-uk-2026/>)

Author: Jamie Tanna

Published: 2026-08-14T09:40:55Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [articles on Jamie Tanna | Software Engineer](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/articles-on-jamie-tanna-software-engineer.md>)

Topics: [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [prompt](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/prompt.md>), [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [build](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/build.md>), [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [conference](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/conference.md>), [developer](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developer.md>), [events](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/events.md>), [go](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/go.md>), [gopher-con-uk](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/gopher-con-uk.md>), [prompt](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/prompt.md>), [review](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/review.md>)

## AI overview

A report from GopherCon UK 2026 focuses on staying passionate and maintaining a sense of ownership while using AI in software development. It summarizes advice to prompt efficiently, review generated code, write commit messages, understand problems before using AI, build projects for practice, and teach what you know.

## Source excerpt

For the 3rd year running, I've been at GopherCon UK and am surprised to have survived the heat in London - highs of 36 degrees yesterday - but thankfully The Brewery is a lovely and cool event space. I'm writing this on the train home, with a slightly tired voice, and a little tired after a good time - thanks again to the organisers for putting it on! How to Stay Passionate in the Age of AI Ainsley Clark kicked us off by talking about ways that we can stay passionate with the reshaping of our roles in the world of AI. Ainsley shared how, as humans, we have an "ancestral" need to create. In the current age of AI, there's a blurred line between human and agent and who is doing the thing, and that impacts the sense of accomplishment that comes from building. Ainsley quoted a number of studies around developer satisfaction and how AI is leading to increased stress, all of which I'd recommend digging into further, as well as "the IKEA effect" study that showed that people who were involved in making a thing (food, origami, furniture) would put more value onto the resulting artifact. Ainsley left us with a few tips to reclaim some of the craft in this new age: Prompt more efficiently: studies show it helps makes us feel more competent and accomplished Post process the results: Review why code works, before you accept it This helps you own the decisions over the lines (as, at the end of the day, you are owning them as you're the one committing them) This is why I will always write my commit messages when using AI - I find it a valuable part of the process to understand why we're doing what we do (because I need to explain it in my own words) - see my blog post for more details Ainsley described this as "making sure work passes through your hands" Invest in understanding: Ainsley noted how - writing notes by hand is better for your memory, and this can be a similar avenue Set boundaries: for instance, only use AI when you fully understand a problem, or you could use it to p