From the sandbox to the stack: IBM’s TechXchange turns agentic AI into action
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Three years into the generative AI (gen AI) boom, developers are feeling the pressure to ship products faster. At TechXchange, IBM is answering that pressure with tools. This year’s conference puts agent-building front and center, with hands-on experiences for attendees. (Think: a workshop where attendees can learn how to build agents in 15 minutes.)
“We are at this really pivotal moment, and AI is reshaping how software is built and how teams collaborate,” said Amy Tennison, a VP of IBM TechXchange and Client Advocacy, in a recent interview with IBM Think. “Developers, architects and engineers are navigating new responsibilities and architectures.”
To meet the appetite, TechXchange will feature hands-on labs and deep technical sessions, using IBM’s tech. Attendees will also be able to build agents in the Agent Build Bay, and explore open-source projects like Mellea, a library for writing generative programs, Model Context Protocol and Docling, an open-source toolkit for preparing documents ready for gen AI.
The Agent Build Bay will sit at the entrance, next to a mini quantum lab. It’s where attendees will be able to practice building agents in minutes, using IBM watsonx Orchestrate, or test quantum workflows.
But TechXchange will also be a place where IBM’s clients can talk through their own experiences implementing AI tools. “Clients are seeing AI shift how technical teams work—not just in terms of tools, but in how decisions are made and how roles evolve,” Tennison said.
“Developers are thinking more like data scientists and product strategists. Architects are engaging in governance and orchestration,” she added. “We are exploring these changes through sessions on agentic architectures, AI-driven workflows and the evolving responsibilities across technical teams.”
Just like gen AI, TechXchange is also turning three years old. What began in 2023 as an effort to unify IBM’s technical community has since grown into a year-round initiative, engaging more than 410,000 developers, architects and engineers from IBM and client companies. Attendance is climbing too, from 3,000 in its first year to a projected 9,000 in 2025.
With AI, developers are being asked to rethink how they work, not just what they build. That’s reflected in the conference’s format, which will consist of roundtables, peer-led sessions and a sandbox that’s more than a metaphor.
Originally modeled after a developer testing environment, TechXchange’s sandbox will be a central meeting space and a full playground (literally). Attendees can build agents, explore open-source projects, and, yes, play Mario Kart or slide down a giant slide.
“This is modeled off that developer sandbox experience because it was all about getting to experience the tech in your own way,” Tennison said.
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