Giant Conversations GC - #34 AI for Infrastructure
Jun 27, 2025
Timo Derstappen, co-founder of Giant Swarm, shares his insights on how AI is revolutionizing the role of Platform Engineers. He discusses AI's dual nature, emphasizing the ‘garbage in, garbage out’ principle. Listeners will find intriguing points about the shift towards AI-driven product management and the integration of collaborative workflows in infrastructure development. Derstappen also addresses the challenges of maintaining human oversight amid rising automation, showcasing the importance of sustainable practices in the evolving tech landscape.
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Product Manager and Architect Role
- Timo experienced that AI code generation is prolific but often incorrect without clear, detailed product specs.
- He had to act as product manager and software architect, specifying and refining all details for AI to implement.
Team Dynamics Shift with AI
- AI changes team dynamics rather than just individual roles, requiring clearer architecture and product management.
- Teams must think deeper upfront to guide AI output effectively, making iteration faster but more deliberate.
Embed Guidelines for Better AI Code
- Provide internal code guidelines and your codebase context to AI tools to improve output relevance.
- Use IDE settings and rule scripts to embed workflow and code standards for AI consistency.