Sully at BDX I/O 2024

If we had to sum it up in three words: Innovation. Connection. Inspiration. But that barely scratches the surface. BDX I/O is a conference that speaks to developers and the humans behind the keyboards. Held annually in Bordeaux, it brings together a diverse community of tech enthusiasts around topics like development, AI, security, inclusion, and team culture.

It is also one of the few events where you can debate the social role of AI... between two games of darts in a hall of exhibitors.

The theme was "AI, progress or peril?"

This year, artificial intelligence emerged as the cross-disciplinary topic par excellence. Between technophile enthusiasm and ethical doubts, the conferences explored AI in all its forms: generative, opaque, inclusive... or not.

What emerged? AI is not a magic wand. It's a mirror. It reflects our intentions, our biases, our creativity... or our blind spots.

For the second year running, our Sully Bordeaux team had a stand at the heart of the event. And once again, we didn't go unnoticed:

• "Balthazar" level sponsor: guaranteed visibility with our logo on the big screen in the amphitheatre.
• Fuchsia pink T-shirts: impossible to miss.
• Lively, interactive stand: more than just a welcome point, a real place for exchanges (and laughter)
• Games and entertainment: discussions, laughter, games, gifts and sweets all gone!

Yes, we did! Our stand was packed to the rafters with three original games, devised and developed in-house:

• Guess the weight of the rucksack: a bag much heavier than it looked... a few sneaky dumbbells, lots of missed bets
• Count the Camely: a giant screen, a shower of mascots, a “how many Camely can you really see?” concentration test.
• The secret message (via QR codes): our visitors had to scan our t-shirts to collect hidden words. The whole thing formed a mystery sentence. Who says the dev can't be playful?

The result: goodies, passionate exchanges... and lots of smiles.

Thanks to the creative minds behind the scenes: Jennifer, for her graphic (re)creation of Camely, more expressive than ever. Marion and Jianni, for the original games that delighted our stand.

Here are the talks that particularly impressed us. Some taught us. Others moved us.

• IA-404: Explanation not found by Cécile Hannotte. AI produces. But does it understand what it produces? A lucid talk on the lack of transparency of modern models and the danger of turning them into uncontrollable oracles
• RETEX from an autistic woman seeking inclusion by Véronique Sermage. A powerful moment. A moving testimony. From soldier to developer, Véronique shared a journey of resilience and adaptation, reminding us that true progress is inclusive.
• The cost of Mob Programming by Hadrien Mens-Pellen. A single screen for an entire team? A heresy for some, a revelation for others. A look back at two years of collective experience.
• AI, the new divide? by Noémie M. Rivière. AI can reinforce inequalities if poorly conceived. A necessary conference to remind us that every technical choice is also a political choice.
• Cache 101 by Robin Colombier. A talk as clear as it is valuable. At last, a speaker who makes caching understandable... and even exciting. A must for every backend dev.
• I'm abusing your prod with 15 security holes.​​​​​​. by Gaetan Eleouet. A punchy and worrying demonstration: even the best sometimes forget the basics. Gaetan reminded us that clean code is also safe code.
• Is gentleness an advantage in this world of brutes? by Anaïs Huet. What if kindness were the best framework? A human conference, full of finesse, that makes you want to manage differently.
• AI or AI not? by Matthieu Vincent and Yann Gloriau. Will AI replace devs? No. Not yet. And maybe never. A concrete, nuanced and pragmatic exploration of the integration of AI into our tools.
• Closing keynote: What about musicians? by Nirina Rabeson. A poetic final note on the place of human creativity in an automated world. And the question that lingers in the mind: what use are we if everything can be generated?

And for replays of all 50 talks 2024, click here: https://www.youtube.com/c/bdxio

BDX I/O 2024 reminded us why we love this business. For the ideas. For the people. For the pleasure of creating, together. We leave feeling energized, inspired and a little proud. And, above all, with a certainty: tech can (and must) be human.