What happens when developers who have spent decades working with Visual Studio start rethinking how they write code, learn new skills, and expand their access to development tools?
At VSLive! San Diego, we had an opportunity to find out as developers gathered for five days of technical sessions, hands-on learning, and conversations about Visual Studio, .NET, AI, cloud, data, and modern application development.
One of the most interesting things we heard in San Diego was how readily experienced developers are adopting new tools and workflows.
GitHub Copilot is part of that story, and developers aren’t limiting themselves to a single AI experience. They’re building broader, more differentiated tool kits. But they aren’t necessarily replacing familiar tools. They’re expanding how they work, choosing different experiences depending on the task, and finding new ways to solve problems.
This is why events like VSLive! provide such an amazing opportunity for developers tackling these kinds of changes. Not only do they get to learn from expert led sessions and hands on labs, they get to learn from each other.
AI is changing how developers approach unfamiliar problems
One of the best parts of this event was being able to explore how developers learn new technologies and work through challenges.
AI is increasingly becoming an early step in that process.
Developers are using AI to research unfamiliar topics, understand existing code, troubleshoot problems, and explore possible approaches before deciding what to try next.
But they aren’t relying on AI alone.
They still move between documentation, technical videos, sample code, and hands-on experimentation to develop a deeper understanding of what they’re building. And a significant number of participants shared that hands-on learning was a preferred way to learn.
That stood out to me.
Even as developers adopt AI-assisted workflows, they continue to value opportunities to work directly with technology, test ideas, and understand how things behave. AI may help developers get started faster. Experimentation helps them decide what to do with what they’ve learned.
The suite of benefits offered through a Visual Studio Subscription complements this developer journey, not only by providing significant discounts at VSLive! events, but also through access to learning paths, Azure credits, certifications, and hands-on labs.
More generated code means more to evaluate
Another interesting observation was how AI is changing the work that happens after code is written. Developers told us AI helps them produce code faster, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re spending less time on development.
Instead, they’re spending more time reviewing and validating generated code. Does it work as expected? Does it fit the architecture? Is it secure? Can someone maintain it later?
These questions have always mattered. AI-assisted development makes them even more important as developers evaluate code they may not have written themselves.
AI can accelerate development, but developer resourcing and judgment remains essential.
Time is still the biggest obstacle to learning
With so many learning resources available, you might expect developers to struggle with finding the right information. But our conversations with developers at VSLive! San Diego signaled that the biggest barriers to learning new skills are time and the pace of technological change.
Sometimes developers need a quick explanation to move forward. Other times, they need a course, a technical session, a community, or an environment where they can experiment.
That helps explain why the flexible learning environment at VSlive! matters now more than ever. And it’s another reason Visual Studio Subscription benefits remain valuable. They aren’t just about the software developers use today. They can also help support the technologies and skills developers want to explore next.
Let’s keep the conversation going
What stood out most from San Diego was the combination of experience and curiosity. We met developers who have used Visual Studio for decades and are actively exploring how AI can change the way they build software.
They’re adopting new tools, reconsidering familiar workflows, and looking for more opportunities to experiment. And they’re helping us better understand what developers need as those workflows continue to evolve.
That’s why the conversations we have at events like VSLive! matter. They give us a chance to hear directly from the people using our tools and help us better understand where we can improve.
If you’d like to continue learning and connecting with the developer community, join us at future VSLive! events:
- Orlando November 15–20, 2026
- Las Vegas March 22–26, 2027
- Austin May 2–6, 2027
Thanks to everyone who joined us in San Diego, and especially those who shared their experiences and ideas. The tools developers use are evolving quickly. Hearing how developers are adapting helps us understand what we should build and improve next.
The post New Tools, New Workflows and the Value of the Visual Studio Subscription: What We Learned at VSLive! San Diego appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.