Oxford Leaders in Tech October 2026: Exploring the Future of AI, Technology and Recruitment

On Tuesday 27th October, Oxford Leaders in Tech (OxLiT) brought together members of Oxfordshire's technology community for another evening of insightful talks, fresh perspectives and great conversations.

Hosted by Joseph Edney, Founder of Humand Talent Solutions, the event ran from 6 pm to 8 pm and welcomed two fantastic speakers, Matt Roberts and Barak Schiller, who explored how artificial intelligence is changing the way we work, make decisions and recruit technical talent.

With AI continuing to develop at pace, both talks offered some interesting insights into the opportunities and challenges facing technology leaders today.

Matt Roberts: Have Your Agent Call My Agent Making Agreements That Agents Can Keep

First up was Matt Roberts, Chair of the Accord Project, an open source initiative under the Linux Foundation focused on making legal agreements easier for technology to understand and manage.

Matt explored an interesting question: as AI agents become increasingly capable of making decisions and carrying out tasks on our behalf, how do we make sure they understand the agreements and responsibilities involved?

Using real examples, including an airline chatbot providing incorrect refund information, Matt highlighted some of the challenges businesses face when AI systems act without clearly defined rules.

His presentation focused on three important areas:

• Authority: Making sure AI agents understand what they are allowed to do and when human approval is needed.
• Shared understanding: Ensuring agreements, deadlines and financial commitments can be interpreted correctly by both humans and AI.
• Accountability: Keeping clear records of decisions, obligations and whether agreements have been met.

Matt also explored how AI agents could eventually negotiate agreements with one another, provided they operate within clearly defined limits.

It was a fascinating look at how AI could transform business operations, particularly as organisations begin to rely on automated systems for more complex decisions.

The key message was clear: before we allow AI agents to make commitments on our behalf, we need to make sure they understand exactly what they are agreeing to.

Barak Schiller: Adapting Technical Interviews for the AI Era

Our second speaker was Barak Schiller, Director of Engineering at Tripadvisor, who brought a different perspective to the evening.

With 25 years of software engineering experience and 13 years in management, Barak explored how AI is changing software development and, importantly, how companies should adapt their technical interview processes.

As AI coding tools become part of everyday engineering work, traditional technical assessments are facing new challenges.

If developers are increasingly using AI to write, review and improve code, should businesses still be assessing candidates in the same way they did five years ago?

Barak shared practical insights into adapting technical interviews to reflect the modern working environment.

His presentation explored several key areas:

• Changing expectations: AI is becoming an important part of software engineering, and businesses need to consider how they assess these skills.
• Rethinking technical assessments: Moving towards more realistic coding challenges that allow candidates to demonstrate how they work with AI tools.
• Maintaining technical understanding: Assessing whether candidates can challenge AI suggestions, identify potential problems and remain in control of the solution.
• Developing interview processes: Training interviewers, introducing suitable tools and continually improving assessments based on feedback.

One particularly interesting point was the importance of understanding whether a developer is leading the AI or simply following its suggestions.

Rather than focusing purely on whether someone can produce working code, Barak highlighted the value of problem solving, communication, technical judgement and the ability to recognise when AI gets something wrong.

For engineering leaders and those involved in technical recruitment, it provided plenty of food for thought about how hiring processes may need to evolve.

Continuing the Conversations at The Cow and Creek

Of course, Oxford Leaders in Tech isn't just about the presentations.

One of the most valuable parts of these events is bringing people together, giving technology professionals the opportunity to meet others in the local community, share experiences and build relationships.

Following the talks, we headed over to The Cow and Creek pub in Oxford for a few beers and the chance to continue conversations in a more relaxed setting.

It was a great opportunity for attendees to speak further with Matt and Barak, exchange ideas and discuss some of the topics raised throughout the evening.

These informal conversations are a big part of what makes the Oxford Leaders in Tech community so enjoyable.

Building Oxfordshire's Technology Community

At Humand Talent Solutions, we're passionate about supporting Oxfordshire's growing technology sector and connecting the people helping to shape its future.

Through Oxford Leaders in Tech, we want to create opportunities for technology professionals, engineering leaders and those interested in the industry to come together, learn from one another and develop meaningful connections.

October's event was another great example of why these conversations matter, particularly as technologies such as AI continue to change the way businesses operate and build their teams.

A huge thank you to Matt Roberts and Barak Schiller for sharing their knowledge and experiences, to Joseph Edney for hosting the evening, and to everyone who joined us and helped make it another fantastic Oxford Leaders in Tech event.

Join Us at Our Next Oxford Leaders in Tech Event

Our next Oxford Leaders in Tech event takes place on Tuesday 8th December 2026!

We're looking forward to bringing Oxfordshire's technology community together again for another evening of interesting talks, fresh ideas and great networking opportunities.

Keep an eye on the Humand Talent Solutions website and our LinkedIn page for further details.

Whether you're an experienced technology leader, an aspiring manager or simply interested in connecting with Oxfordshire's tech community, we'd love to see you there!