AI in the spotlight: Silicon Saxony visits the FHD

How is artificial intelligence changing software development? And which skills will become important in a working world in which AI is increasingly writing code and taking over technical tasks?

These were the questions addressed at last week’s Silicon Saxony event “Spotlight on: AI in Software Development – Opportunities, Risks and New Business Models” at Fachhochschule Dresden (FHD). The event was fully booked, highlighting the strong interest in current developments in artificial intelligence, software development, and the changes these developments bring for companies and professionals.

Practical Insights into the Development of AI

Three keynote presentations provided insights into different fields of application and perspectives on the use of artificial intelligence.

Daniel Röder from Staffbase spoke about “Agentic Software Engineering at Staffbase” and demonstrated how AI agents can increasingly take on tasks in software development.

Christoph Kögler from Infineon Technologies provided insights into the role of AI in the development of modern semiconductors with his presentation “How AI Is Driving Chip Development.”

Dr. Paula Ostmann from elevait presented the “Vision to Act Framework” and showed how strategic ideas can be translated into concrete approaches for action.

During the subsequent Open Space, participants exchanged experiences and discussed opportunities and challenges in workshops focusing on the perspectives of people, organizations, and technology.

As AI Writes Code, Understanding People Becomes Even More Important

One thing became clear: software development is undergoing fundamental change. AI can already take over parts of the technical implementation. As a result, the focus of many activities is shifting.

Skills that go beyond pure technical implementation are becoming increasingly important: understanding and formulating requirements, identifying user needs, designing and evaluating solutions, and critically reviewing results.

For Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marius Brade, Professor of Media Informatics at FHD, this development is particularly relevant: “AI writes code. But who actually understands what people really need?”

Requirements can rarely be fully captured in an initial conversation. A clear understanding often emerges only throughout the process – through drafts, prototypes, testing, and repeated iterations. Methods such as User-Centered Design are therefore becoming increasingly important.

Future Skills at FHD

This is precisely where teaching at FHD comes in. Students learn to understand people’s requirements and needs for digital systems, develop appropriate solutions, and implement them using modern tools – increasingly with the support of artificial intelligence.

The goal is not simply to use AI as a tool for faster implementation. What matters is being able to contextualize and critically question results and assess whether they are suitable for the respective problem at hand.

The tools are changing. Understanding people remains the key success factor.

Connecting Higher Education and Industry

The Silicon Saxony event demonstrated how valuable the exchange between higher education and the regional technology sector is for jointly reflecting on current developments and discussing future perspectives.

Many thanks to Silicon Saxony, speakers Daniel Röder, Christoph Kögler, and Dr. Paula Ostmann, as well as all participants, for the inspiring insights, open discussions, and valuable exchange of practical experience. Special thanks to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marius Brade for supporting the collaboration between Silicon Saxony and FHD.