Edinburgh · Perk
Hosted by EdinburghJS JavaScript
Explore developer wellbeing, AI burnout and open source with EdinburghJS in Edinburgh on Tuesday 17 November 2026. Running from 6:30pm to 8:30pm GMT at Perk, 3rd Floor, Nova House, 3 Ponton Street, this meetup examines how agentic coding is changing developers’ work, mental health and relationship with their craft. Talk and guided discussion Researcher and psychologist Miranda Heath will present “AI Burnout and Brainfry”, drawing on nearly 1,000 developer comments from a Syntax survey about AI coding and mental health. Topics include: - Burnout caused by pressure to produce more, faster - Cognitive overload from reviewing verbose AI-generated code and running multiple agents - Effects on motivation, confidence, learning and skill development - Difficulty disconnecting when continual prompting makes anything feel possible - Anxiety around job security, productivity expectations and keeping pace with AI - The interaction between AI-assisted coding, autism and ADHD The talk will be followed by a guided group conversation about how AI is affecting attendees’ wellbeing and jobs, plus ways developers can support one another. Miranda is a founding director of the Software Stewardship Lab and author of its report on burnout in open source. This discussion-led evening is particularly relevant to software developers using AI coding agents, open-source contributors and anyone concerned about sustainable careers in technology. Pizza will be provided, with Perk sponsoring the venue and catering. Register for the EdinburghJS meetup
Sponsors: Telaco · TravelPerk
