The Google Developer Groups (GDG) on Campus SRM University Delhi-NCR, successfully hosted “Software Engineering in the Age of AI”, an insightful developer-focused session featuring Aditya Thakur, Google Developer Expert (GDE) in Flutter. The event aimed to provide students with a practical understanding of how artificial intelligence is transforming the field of software engineering and influencing the way developers build, think, and solve real-world problems. The session also introduced students to relevant technologies from the Google ecosystem, including Flutter, Firebase, and other modern development tools and technologies. Alongside the talk and interactive discussions, the event included a hands-on practical session, allowing participants to gain direct exposure to modern development practices. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A and interaction with the speaker, providing students an opportunity to clarify their doubts and gain insights from industry and developer-community experience. With participation from students across academic years, particularly first-year students, the event marked another step toward promoting technical learning, practical exposure, and an active developer community on campus.
The “Software Engineering in the Age of AI” event was organized by Google Developer Groups (GDG) on Campus SRM University Delhi-NCR as an expert-led learning and hands-on practical session aimed at providing students with a deeper understanding of the evolving software engineering landscape. The session featured Aditya Thakur, Google Developer Expert (GDE) in Flutter, who shared his experiences from the developer ecosystem and discussed how emerging technologies are influencing modern software development.
The event combined an expert talk, interactive discussions, and a hands-on practical session, giving students an opportunity to connect theoretical concepts with practical development. Discussions covered the impact of Artificial Intelligence on software engineering, along with technologies such as Flutter, Firebase, and other Google technologies.
The key objectives of the event were to:
- Help students understand how AI is transforming software engineering and development practices.
- Provide exposure to Flutter, Firebase, and other Google technologies.
- Offer students hands-on practical experience with modern development concepts.
- Give students insights into the developer ecosystem and industry practices through the experience of a Google Developer Expert.
- Encourage students, particularly those beginning their development journey, to explore new technologies and build practical projects.
- Create an interactive platform for students to engage with an industry expert, ask questions, and gain practical insights.
Speaker Profile: Aditya Thakur
Aditya Thakur is a Google Developer Expert (GDE) for Flutter and Dart, Software Engineer, and technology content creator. With a growing YouTube audience of over 12,000 subscribers, he actively shares knowledge and practical insights with the developer community.
Aditya has built a community of more than 2,000 developers on Discord, where he regularly discusses Flutter, open source, and developer profile building. His contributions extend beyond content creation, including work on the Flutter framework, Flutter Community Plus Plugins, FlutterFire, and other open-source projects. He has also delivered talks at various Flutter and developer events across India and internationally, bringing valuable experience from the wider developer ecosystem.
Alongside his professional work, Aditya develops applications independently, exploring ways to solve real-world problems through thoughtful product design and user experience. His primary goal is to empower and inspire developers to create meaningful and innovative solutions using technology.
Aditya also shares a connection with SRM University Sonepat, having been a student at the institution. During his time on campus, he was involved in the CIIE Tech Team, organized multiple technical events including Flutter and iOS development workshops, and contributed to initiatives such as the SRM Builds Hackathon.
With his expertise in Flutter, Dart, Firebase, and developer advocacy, Aditya brought both technical knowledge and practical experience to the session, making him a valuable speaker for students exploring modern software development and the evolving role of developers in the age of AI.
Expert Talk: Software Engineering in the Age of AI
The expert talk formed the central part of the event, focusing on how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the role of software engineers and the overall software development process. Aditya Thakur shared his perspective on the changing developer landscape and discussed how AI is becoming an important part of the way modern developers think, build, test, and solve problems.
The session emphasized that the rise of AI does not simply reduce the importance of software engineers, but instead changes the skills and approaches required to become an effective developer. Students were encouraged to look beyond writing code and focus on problem-solving, understanding systems, making informed technical decisions, and effectively using AI-assisted development tools.
Drawing from his experience in the developer ecosystem, Aditya discussed how developers can adapt to these changes while continuing to strengthen their fundamental technical skills. The discussion also highlighted the importance of learning continuously, experimenting with new technologies, and building real-world projects rather than relying solely on theoretical knowledge.
The talk provided students with a broader perspective on the future of software engineering and encouraged them to view AI as a tool that can enhance their capabilities. Through practical examples and interactive discussion, participants gained insights into how developers can remain relevant and productive as AI continues to influence the technology industry.
Hands-on Practical Session
The event also included a hands-on practical session designed to provide students with direct exposure to modern application development. Moving beyond the theoretical concepts discussed during the expert talk, participants had the opportunity to apply their learning in a practical development environment under the guidance of Aditya Thakur.
The session focused on demonstrating how technologies such as Flutter, Dart, Stich and Firebase can be used in real-world application development. Students were guided through practical concepts and development workflows, allowing them to understand how different technologies come together to build functional applications.
The hands-on component encouraged students to actively participate, experiment with the concepts being discussed, and understand the practical challenges involved in software development. It also helped bridge the gap between learning a technology and actually using it to build something.
Through this practical exposure, students gained greater confidence in exploring modern development technologies and were encouraged to continue experimenting with Flutter, Firebase, and other tools from the Google ecosystem in their own projects.
Interactive Discussion & Student Participation
The event featured an engaging interactive discussion and doubt-clearing session, providing students with an opportunity to directly interact with Aditya Thakur and seek guidance based on his experience as a Google Developer Expert and software engineer.
During the discussion, students raised questions and shared their thoughts on topics including AI in software engineering, Flutter, Firebase, application development, career opportunities, and the evolving developer ecosystem. The doubt-clearing segment allowed participants to seek clarification on technical concepts, development practices, and challenges they may encounter while building projects.
Students from different academic years actively participated in the session, with first-year students also showing enthusiasm and curiosity throughout the interaction. The open and approachable nature of the discussion encouraged students to ask questions freely and gain practical insights beyond the formal presentation.
The active participation and curiosity demonstrated by the students contributed to creating an engaging learning environment and added significant value to the overall event experience.
Key Takeaways and Learning Outcomes
The event provided students with a combination of expert insights, practical exposure, and interactive learning, helping them understand the changing landscape of software engineering and modern development technologies. The key learning outcomes from the session included:
- Understanding the impact of AI on software engineering: Students gained insights into how AI is changing development workflows, problem-solving approaches, and the role of software engineers.
- Exposure to modern Google technologies: Participants were introduced to technologies such as Flutter, Dart, and Firebase, along with their applications in modern software development.
- Practical development experience: The hands-on session helped students connect theoretical concepts with practical implementation and understand real-world development workflows.
- Insights from the developer ecosystem: Through Aditya Thakur’s experiences as a Google Developer Expert, students gained a better understanding of open-source contributions, developer communities, and opportunities in the technology ecosystem.
- Encouragement to build and experiment: Students were motivated to explore new technologies, work on personal projects, and develop solutions to real-world problems.
- Career and learning perspective: The discussions provided students with valuable guidance on continuously improving their technical skills and adapting to the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
Overall, the session encouraged students to learn, experiment, build, and adapt, while giving them a practical perspective on the future of software engineering.
The “Software Engineering in the Age of AI” event successfully provided students with a meaningful combination of expert knowledge, practical exposure, and interactive learning. Through the insightful talk by Aditya Thakur, Google Developer Expert (GDE) in Flutter, participants gained a deeper understanding of how AI is transforming software engineering and the skills developers need to adapt to the changing technology landscape.
The discussions around Flutter, Dart, Firebase, and other Google technologies, along with the hands-on practical session, gave students valuable exposure to modern development practices. The interactive discussion, doubt-clearing session, and Q&A further encouraged students to engage with the speaker and gain insights beyond the formal session.
The enthusiastic participation of students from different academic years, particularly first-year students, reflected the growing interest in modern technologies and developer communities on campus. The event, conducted under the guidance of Faculty Coordinator Dr. Ruchi Kawatra, further strengthened GDG on Campus SRM University Delhi-NCR’s commitment to promoting technical learning, practical development, and community engagement.
Overall, the event was a successful learning experience that encouraged students to explore new technologies, build practical projects, and prepare themselves for the evolving world of software engineering.
