Last night, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Bristol WordPress Meetup, an event that’s quickly becoming one of the most vibrant and growing tech communities in our region. While I run the Cheltenham WordPress Meetup myself, I’m always keen to support other groups, and it was a real honour to be invited to Bristol.
Before the pandemic, the Bristol group was one of the largest and most active meetups in the area. Like many communities, it took a hit during lockdown, but thanks to the dedication of people like Janice, who I’ve had the chance to see more of since reigniting the Cheltenham group, it’s made a powerful comeback. I attended one of their early meetups just a few months ago, where only a handful of people showed up. Fast forward to now, and the room was buzzing with energy, filled with curious, engaged WordPress enthusiasts. It’s a brilliant thing to witness, and I wish them continued success as they grow from strength to strength.
The talk I gave was “Dancing with AI: A Developer’s Journey,” something I’ve previously shared at Cheltenham. It explores the realities, both the highs and the lows of using AI as part of a modern developer’s workflow.
I’m not shy about admitting that I come from the “older gent” demographic that sometimes sees AI as a threat. But the reality is, for anyone under 35, AI is already becoming second nature. Like it or not, I knew I had to embrace it or risk getting left behind.
When I first began using AI tools, I was incredibly excited by the possibilities. But over the last 12–18 months, my perspective has matured. I’ve come to see AI as a powerful assistant but not a silver bullet. It has clear limitations, and the key lesson I’ve learned is this: don’t blindly accept its output. AI is designed to convince you that its suggestion is best. Your job is to push back, ask questions, and keep your developer instincts sharp.
My talk encourages developers not to resist AI, nor to surrender to it entirely but to dance with it. Use it incrementally. Review everything. Stay in control. That’s how we make AI work for us, not the other way around.
A big thank you again to the Bristol crew for having me. I’ll definitely be back and not just as a speaker, but as someone looking for speakers too. If you’re part of the Bristol group, expect to hear from me soon… we’ve got exciting things brewing in Cheltenham!
Thank-you Dave, Rob, Janice, Rebecca and all the Bristol folk who attended, it was an absolute pleasure.
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