DeveloperWeek 2025

Ankur Chowdhary, 6Sense, Staff Security Engineer

In this talk I will discuss how organizations can define the scope of AI security based on understanding the context of AI use and integrate secure AI development lifecycle as a part of existing software development lifecycle (SDLC) practices. The talk will also cover metrics during each phase of AI development that should be considered for establishing the success criteria of secure and responsible development of AI system for an organization. 

Bar-El Tayouri, Mend.io, Head of Mend AI

AI lets us reimagine what the world could look like, bringing new technologies—and unfortunately, increasing security risks—to life. Dive into the new reality of risk when playing with fire – exploring AI vulnerabilities in real-time, straight from the terminal.

In this session, you’ll see how these vulnerabilities are exploited, uncover adversarial methods, and explore real-world case studies—complete with technical code examples. Reveal how attackers identify and leverage AI weaknesses, including the creation of new zero-days. But knowing the risks is only half the battle. Learn concrete strategies to protect your AI systems, from strengthening prompts and setting up guardrails to spotting rogue agents and running AI-specific red team exercises. Whether you’re a developer or security pro, you’ll leave with the tools to safeguard your AI-powered projects and stay ahead of emerging threats.

Manish Rai, Snaplogic, VP of Product Marketing

The rise of AI agents shows no sign of slowing down, with the market projected* to grow tenfold from $5 billion in 2024 to nearly $50 billion by 2030. By this time, generative AI will be table stakes, and business and IT leaders will instead be grappling with how to manage an entire workforce of AI agents carrying out a range of automated tasks.

In an AI-powered future, enterprises are like gardens with AI agents as gardeners, helping the landscapers maintain the estate. These agents are smart, self sufficient tools, and excel at specific tasks, but if the tool shed is disorganized they will be slowed down — or worse, use the wrong soil or seeds and cause irreparable damage, preventing the garden from blooming to its full potential. To avoid this, organizations must keep their tools in order.

In this session, Manish Rai will explore a range of considerations for enterprises as they implement and scale a team of AI agents to set themselves up for long-term success. It will encompass topics such as function management, and how to govern the tools AI agents will have access to — while maintaining guardrails. As use cases for AI agents expand to non-technical teams, Rai will also discuss key stakeholders for overseeing implementation to prevent shadow data. Finally, he will provide tips for organizations seeking to rework their overall data governance framework to meet the moment head on, and be prepared for a new agentic workforce.

Parth Shukla, Cequence Security, Security Analyst
Khyati Ganatra, Cequence Security,  Manager, Applied ML 

In the presentation titled "AI Frontiers: Shielding Digital Gateways from Bot Invasions," we delve into the forefront of cyber defense against bot-driven threats that exploit API vulnerabilities. This comprehensive study explores how advanced AI and ML models are being harnessed to fortify digital defenses, offering a detailed analysis of API communication patterns and the evolving landscape of bot attacks. Through a series of real-world case studies, we illuminate the mechanisms of sophisticated bot strategies—ranging from data breaches and account takeovers to shopping bots that deplete inventories. The narrative progresses to unveil how AI/ML technologies serve as the cornerstone of innovative defense mechanisms. We dissect the architecture of AI-driven systems tailored to detect and counteract anomalous behaviors indicative of bot activities, leveraging vast datasets to train ML models that adeptly differentiate between legitimate user interactions and malicious bot intrusions. The discussion further navigates through the technical and operational nuances of implementing AI/ML defenses, emphasizing predictive analytics for preemptive action, machine learning for dynamic threat adaptation, and the overarching impact of such technologies in securing digital ecosystems against the insidious threats posed by automated attacks. This presentation not only highlights the challenges but also showcases the resilience and adaptability of AI/ML solutions in the ever-evolving battle against digital villains.

Alison Cossette, Neo4j, Data Science Strategist, Advocate, Educator

As generative AI continues to push boundaries, creating novel content by learning from massive datasets, we are faced with complex issues around intellectual property, privacy, and the ethical use of data. Current systems of copyright, fair use, and data protection lack the scope to fully address the unique challenges posed by AI pattern recognition and generation.

This pivotal talk introduces the pioneering concept of "Pattern Rights" - a holistic ethical framework to inform the development and deployment of generative AI technologies. Pattern Rights serves as an umbrella construct, encompassing principles of copyright, fair use, training data transparency, privacy, data ownership, and accountability.

We will explore how Pattern Rights can ensure appropriate attribution and compensation when AI models learn from copyrighted works or personal data. It establishes guidelines around consent, anonymization, and ethical data sourcing practices.

As the AI industry is rapidly evolving, we urgently need governance to foster innovation while upholding rights and safeguarding against misuse. Pattern Rights provides a roadmap to navigate this uncharted territory responsibly and equitably.

Dan Edwards, Crowe, Managing Director

In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are rapidly evolving, the accounting profession stands at the precipice of significant transformation. This session aims to demystify the impact of AI technologies, such as Microsoft Copilot, on the future of accounting.

Join us for an insightful exploration into the capabilities of AI in the accounting space, where we will delve into the current state of AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, their potential to automate complex accounting tasks, and the implications for accounting professionals.

This session is designed for accounting professionals at all levels who are seeking to understand the impact of AI on their careers and how to strategically position themselves for success in a rapidly changing technological landscape. Whether you're a seasoned CPA or a recent graduate, this session will provide valuable insights into the future of accounting.

Ankur Chowdhary, 6Sense, Staff Security Engineer

In this talk I will discuss how organizations can define the scope of AI security based on understanding the context of AI use and integrate secure AI development lifecycle as a part of existing software development lifecycle (SDLC) practices. The talk will also cover metrics during each phase of AI development that should be considered for establishing the success criteria of secure and responsible development of AI system for an organization. 

Bar-El Tayouri, Mend.io, Head of Mend AI

AI lets us reimagine what the world could look like, bringing new technologies—and unfortunately, increasing security risks—to life. Dive into the new reality of risk when playing with fire – exploring AI vulnerabilities in real-time, straight from the terminal.

In this session, you’ll see how these vulnerabilities are exploited, uncover adversarial methods, and explore real-world case studies—complete with technical code examples. Reveal how attackers identify and leverage AI weaknesses, including the creation of new zero-days. But knowing the risks is only half the battle. Learn concrete strategies to protect your AI systems, from strengthening prompts and setting up guardrails to spotting rogue agents and running AI-specific red team exercises. Whether you’re a developer or security pro, you’ll leave with the tools to safeguard your AI-powered projects and stay ahead of emerging threats.

Manish Rai, Snaplogic, VP of Product Marketing

The rise of AI agents shows no sign of slowing down, with the market projected* to grow tenfold from $5 billion in 2024 to nearly $50 billion by 2030. By this time, generative AI will be table stakes, and business and IT leaders will instead be grappling with how to manage an entire workforce of AI agents carrying out a range of automated tasks.

In an AI-powered future, enterprises are like gardens with AI agents as gardeners, helping the landscapers maintain the estate. These agents are smart, self sufficient tools, and excel at specific tasks, but if the tool shed is disorganized they will be slowed down — or worse, use the wrong soil or seeds and cause irreparable damage, preventing the garden from blooming to its full potential. To avoid this, organizations must keep their tools in order.

In this session, Manish Rai will explore a range of considerations for enterprises as they implement and scale a team of AI agents to set themselves up for long-term success. It will encompass topics such as function management, and how to govern the tools AI agents will have access to — while maintaining guardrails. As use cases for AI agents expand to non-technical teams, Rai will also discuss key stakeholders for overseeing implementation to prevent shadow data. Finally, he will provide tips for organizations seeking to rework their overall data governance framework to meet the moment head on, and be prepared for a new agentic workforce.

Mithun A. Sridharan, Think Insights, Founder

A principles-based framework for AI governance provides a compass to navigate the ethical and responsible development and use of Artificial Intelligence. Unlike rigid rulebooks, these frameworks establish core principles that guide decision-making throughout the AI lifecycle to address the unique challenges posed by different AI systems.

Several prominent examples of principles-based frameworks exist. The European Union's Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, the Bletchley Declaration, SR 117, and ISO/IEC 42001 are a few frameworks that provide a comprehensive set of principles for organizations to manage AI throughout its lifecycle.

The principles-based approaches provide a strong foundation for navigating the complexities of AI development and implementation. As AI technology continues to evolve, these frameworks can be revisited and refined to address new challenges. By focusing on core ethical principles, they ensure that AI development remains responsible and human-centric. 

Parth Shukla, Cequence Security, Security Analyst
Khyati Ganatra, Cequence Security,  Manager, Applied ML

In the presentation titled "AI Frontiers: Shielding Digital Gateways from Bot Invasions," we delve into the forefront of cyber defense against bot-driven threats that exploit API vulnerabilities. This comprehensive study explores how advanced AI and ML models are being harnessed to fortify digital defenses, offering a detailed analysis of API communication patterns and the evolving landscape of bot attacks. Through a series of real-world case studies, we illuminate the mechanisms of sophisticated bot strategies—ranging from data breaches and account takeovers to shopping bots that deplete inventories. The narrative progresses to unveil how AI/ML technologies serve as the cornerstone of innovative defense mechanisms. We dissect the architecture of AI-driven systems tailored to detect and counteract anomalous behaviors indicative of bot activities, leveraging vast datasets to train ML models that adeptly differentiate between legitimate user interactions and malicious bot intrusions. The discussion further navigates through the technical and operational nuances of implementing AI/ML defenses, emphasizing predictive analytics for preemptive action, machine learning for dynamic threat adaptation, and the overarching impact of such technologies in securing digital ecosystems against the insidious threats posed by automated attacks. This presentation not only highlights the challenges but also showcases the resilience and adaptability of AI/ML solutions in the ever-evolving battle against digital villains.

Alison Cossette, Neo4j, Data Science Strategist, Advocate, Educator

As generative AI continues to push boundaries, creating novel content by learning from massive datasets, we are faced with complex issues around intellectual property, privacy, and the ethical use of data. Current systems of copyright, fair use, and data protection lack the scope to fully address the unique challenges posed by AI pattern recognition and generation.

This pivotal talk introduces the pioneering concept of "Pattern Rights" - a holistic ethical framework to inform the development and deployment of generative AI technologies. Pattern Rights serves as an umbrella construct, encompassing principles of copyright, fair use, training data transparency, privacy, data ownership, and accountability.

We will explore how Pattern Rights can ensure appropriate attribution and compensation when AI models learn from copyrighted works or personal data. It establishes guidelines around consent, anonymization, and ethical data sourcing practices.

As the AI industry is rapidly evolving, we urgently need governance to foster innovation while upholding rights and safeguarding against misuse. Pattern Rights provides a roadmap to navigate this uncharted territory responsibly and equitably.

Dan Edwards, Crowe, Managing Director

In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are rapidly evolving, the accounting profession stands at the precipice of significant transformation. This session aims to demystify the impact of AI technologies, such as Microsoft Copilot, on the future of accounting.

Join us for an insightful exploration into the capabilities of AI in the accounting space, where we will delve into the current state of AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, their potential to automate complex accounting tasks, and the implications for accounting professionals.

This session is designed for accounting professionals at all levels who are seeking to understand the impact of AI on their careers and how to strategically position themselves for success in a rapidly changing technological landscape. Whether you're a seasoned CPA or a recent graduate, this session will provide valuable insights into the future of accounting.