October 21, 2026
Can AI Fix Legacy Software Without Breaking the Business?
AI is changing the economics of legacy software modernization. Success, says WWT Senior Executive AI Advisor Nate McKie, depends on uncovering hidden business rules, preserving critical behavior and proving the replacement works.
AI is giving enterprises a reason to revisit software modernization projects once considered too costly or risky. But decades-old applications contain more than outdated code. They carry customer commitments, compliance requirements and operational lessons that may never have been documented.
As rebuilding becomes easier, leaders must demand evidence that teams understand what they're replacing. Faster development creates opportunity. Preserving the business logic that matters turns that opportunity into progress.
In this episode, Nate discusses:
- What remains difficult about AI-native engineering—even as coding tools become more capable.
- How AI is changing the economics of modernizing legacy software.
- How teams uncover undocumented business rules and dependencies before changing critical systems.
- What it takes to prove a replacement works, especially when AI generates both the code and its tests.
- How engineering teams must rethink code review, human judgment and accountability as agents take on more work.
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About the AI Proving Ground Podcast:
AI deployment and adoption are complex. The AI Proving Ground Podcast makes them actionable. Join top experts, IT leaders and innovators as we explore AI's toughest challenges, uncover real-world case studies and reveal practical insights that drive AI ROI. From strategy to execution, we break down what works (and what doesn't) in enterprise AI. New episodes are available every week.
Featured speaker
World Wide Technology
Senior Practice Director of AI Native Engineering and Senior Executive AI Advisor