DevCon 2025 Amsterdam was a great success. I am recuperating today and heading home by train tomorrow. It was my last Autodesk event, and my time with Autodesk is nearing its end. It was wonderful to see some many longstanding partners and hear about all your wonderful projects and visionary plans.
Amir Dezfouli, CEO of Bimlogiq, succinctly summarised the main technical topics on LinkedIn:
Raji Arasu shared a forward-looking vision: replacing traditional add-ins with intelligent agents. These agents would have well-defined skill sets, automating tasks across platforms and shifting us beyond point-and-click interfaces to more complex workflow automation. This aligns well with the broader movement in AI toward agent-based systems and enabling platforms.
Low-code and no-code tools powered by LLMs were a major focus. Anthony Sertorio gave a compelling presentation on how these systems can close skill gaps and automate complex workflows. In a related session, Gregory Fina and Petr Broz demonstrated how chatbots can be used for data access and calculations.
Another clear direction was breaking down data silos. Many tools are now built for cloud-native environments—particularly Autodesk Platform Services. The new Autodesk Assistant reflects this shift, allowing users to access data through natural language.
A personal highlight was meeting Jeremy Tammik, whose work on the Revit API has been a long-standing source of inspiration. Some of the ideas he’s shared over the years have been particularly helpful in how we approach no-code automation in tools like BIMLOGIQ Copilot.
In one session, a poll asked: “If you could fix one issue in drawings, what would it be?” The top responses—cross-disciplinary mismatches, incorrect dimensions, and annotation clutter—highlight persistent pain points in the industry. These are exactly the kinds of challenges we’ve been tackling with AI-driven tools like Smart Annotation and vertically integrated automation solutions.
While general-purpose foundation models are driving progress, there’s still a gap when it comes to models tailored specifically for AEC. Vertical AI—deeply embedded in domain workflows—feels like the next frontier.
I'd like to add that Raji also specifically highlighted that the importance of API documentation and end user interfaces may shrink, while the importance of clearly defined and completely self-documenting functionality and components might grow substantially.
Why?
Given clearly defined self-contained functionality with self-documenting interfaces, AIs can figure out for themselves the most effective ways to address a given step in a complex task and automatically build or configure appropriate agents and workflows to make use of such components with very little human intervention, or none at all.
Another vision of this trend and possible outcomes is discussed in depth by Rob Walling in his great nine-minute video on AI agents vs SaaS – who wins the future of software?.
Cyrille Fauvel also shared a blurb summarising day two underlining the above – although, I must admit, it looks and sounds rather AI-generated to me – bar the personal note at the end :-)
The second day of Autodesk DevCon Europe 2025 was nothing short of inspiring! The keynote focused on how AI is revolutionizing industries while driving sustainability – and at the heart of it all? Data.
AI is no longer just a tool for automation; it's a game-changer for industries looking to optimize workflows, reduce waste, and make smarter decisions. From predictive insights in manufacturing to energy-efficient designs in architecture, AI is helping businesses stay ahead of industry demands while bolstering sustainability efforts.
But AI is only as powerful as the data it learns from. The ability to leverage design and make data is what enables AI to automate tedious tasks, augment creative exploration, and analyze project data for better outcomes. Companies that effectively harness their data are leading the charge in sustainability, using AI to reduce carbon footprints, optimize material usage, and assess environmental impact.
As AI continues to evolve, the importance of data will only grow. Organizations that invest in data-driven strategies today will be the ones shaping a more sustainable, efficient, and innovative future tomorrow.
On a personal note, sustainability has always been a priority for me. Fifteen years ago, I invested time and effort into making my home more environmentally friendly, and the journey is far from over. Whether it's improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, or integrating smarter solutions, I'm constantly working on ways to make my living space more sustainable. Marie, my partner in life, keep telling me that our house is not a research laboratory 😇 This keynote reinforced just how vital it is to keep pushing forward, leveraging both technology and data to build a better future.
What are your thoughts on AI’s role in sustainability? Let’s discuss!
Kean Walmsley presents an overview of the entire event in his article on DevCon Europe 2025 in Amsterdam – Days 1 and 2.
My main occupation was shaking hands and posing for selfies, cf., below.
After closing, the team picture of the entire Autodesk DevCon team was spontaneously gate-crashed by my crazy genius colleague Michael Beale for this super monster selfie – with me grinning my head off in the brownish-orange shirt in the midlle:
That animated all of us and liberated some of the pent-up energy from these inspiring days and meetings:
We had a celebration with some of our important long-standing development partners and took a group picture with my closest European and Asian colleagues:
Unfortunately, my AEC-focused teammates in Nairobi and Mikako in the US were unable to make it.
Thank you for all the kind mentions and appreciation on LinkedIn and elsewhere:
... and ever so many more!
Thank you!
Keep in touch!