AI is changing how fast we can generate code, documents, and decisions—but it doesn’t solve the hard part: humans working together.
In this keynote, Alistair Cockburn (Agile Manifesto signatory, creator of Crystal) makes the case that even in an AI-accelerated world, success still comes down to collaboration, leadership, trust, and learning.
Key themes in this talk:
The Heart of Agile in four words: Collaborate • Deliver • Reflect • Improve
Why every organization should have a top-level budget line item for improving collaboration
Organizations as a “giant brain” — people as neurons moving decisions (and why feedback loops matter)
AI as a “fast typist”: powerful, useful… and still error-prone (vibe-coding Wordle/Reversi included)
Why smaller batches and early feedback beat big, lumpy plans—even more in the age of AI
Leadership evolution: from command-and-control to listening, trust, and ownership
Host vs Guest Leadership: how initiative spreads when people don’t wait for permission
Why “organizational transformation” mostly fails—and what does work instead (invitation, selection, and environments)
📍 Recorded at LeSS Conference 2026 — Amsterdam
🎤 Speaker: Alistair Cockburn
🧠 Keynote title: It’s still about the People even with AI
Download the presentation here: https://less.works/conferenza/sessions/2025-global-less-conference-amsterdam-keynote-it-s-still-about-the-people-even-with-ai-435
