AI in Industry: How Software Engineering Is Changing by Karim Soliman ’15

Join us Monday, November 16 at 4:00 PM in Alumni Hall 286! Karim Soliman ’15, a proud Wake Forest University Computer Science alumnus, also Senior Engineering Manager at Trunk Tools, returns to share his insight on AI in Industry: How Software Engineering is Changing.

Abstract

The way software is built is changing rapidly with the introduction of AI tools. Tasks that once required multiple people and several handoffs, from product requirements and design to implementation, testing, and release, can now be completed in very different ways. In this seminar, we’ll walk through the software development lifecycle and compare how engineering teams worked traditionally, how they work with AI today, and where things might be heading. Drawing on experience at Microsoft, Amazon, startups, and engineering leadership roles, we’ll look at practical examples of AI-assisted development, covering working prototypes, coding agents, testing, and product launches. We’ll also discuss how the role of a software engineer is evolving, what skills companies increasingly value, and how students can prepare to enter an industry where writing code is only one part of the job.

Karim Soliman is a Senior Engineering Manager at Trunk Tools, where he leads teams building AI-powered products and systems for the construction industry. Previously, he served as CTO and founding engineer at Tome, an AI-powered contract understanding platform, and as a Technical Lead at Amazon Alexa and Microsoft Cortana. His experience spans early-stage startups, large-scale production systems, and engineering leadership, with a focus on building and delivering AI-powered software.

All are welcome!