Ruby Talks w/ Kinsey Durham Grace About Working on Github's Copilot, AI, & All-Star RailsConf Panel

Ruby Central’s Rhiannon Payne chats with Kinsey Durham Grace, Senior Engineer at GitHub and keynote panelist for the final RailsConf in Philadelphia (July 2025). Kinsey shares how she curated an all-star panel of Ruby and Rails leaders to reflect on the past, present, and future of the Rails community. They dive into her work on GitHub Copilot, her personal journey into Rails, and why ethical AI and community connection matter more than ever. More info on Kinsey's keynote panel: Rails Then, Now, and Next: A Conversation with our Community Description Rails has been evolving for over two decades, shaping the modern web development landscape while fostering one of the most passionate and tight-knit communities in tech. This panel brings together influential voices from different eras of Rails to reflect on its past, discuss its present, and envision its future. Join us for a lively, insightful conversation with seasoned contributors and community leaders as we explore: How Rails has changed over the years—both technically and culturally Pivotal moments in the framework’s history and lessons learned The current state of Rails and its place in the modern web ecosystem What’s next for Rails and how we, as a community, can shape its future Whether you’re a long-time Rails developer or just starting your journey, this panel offers valuable perspectives and stories from those who have helped shape the framework and its community. Panelists: Eileen Uchitelle – Rails Core Team, performance and scaling expert Evan Phoenix – Creator of Rubinius, longtime Ruby & Rails contributor Marty Haught – RailsConf organizer, community leader Nadia Odunayo – Founder of The StoryGraph, Rails advocate Sarah Mei – Co-founder of RailsBridge, advocate for diversity in tech