Building Distributed Systems in the Age of AI

AI has a unique effect on software engineering. It is a technology we can use in our systems. It is the technology we build our systems with. And lastly, it changes the very environment our systems run in. That changes how we design, operate, and reason about distributed systems.

The book examines established architectural patterns alongside emerging agent-based, streaming-first, and privacy-preserving approaches. It also explores the changing role of software engineers and systems designed for two very different audiences: humans and machines.

What you will explore

• How established distributed-system patterns change when AI participates at runtime
• How to design systems that stay observable, interoperable, and resilient
• How engineering responsibilities and interfaces evolve in an AI-shaped world