MISRA sets November conference on AI and software assurance

MISRA will host a conference near Manchester Airport on 10 November 2026 to examine how safety- and security-critical software development should evolve as AI becomes part of routine engineering work. The event is meant to help developers, researchers and industry leaders think through compliance, accountability and best practice in an AI-driven era.

Why it matters: - AI is moving into mainstream software development, including tasks that affect safety- and security-critical systems. - MISRA says the shift raises fresh questions about compliance, assurance and accountability. - The conference is designed to help engineers keep rigorous standards in place as tools and workflows change.

What happened: - MISRA announced a conference titled “MISRA: the Future, and AI – the journey ahead.” - The event is scheduled for 10 November 2026 near Manchester Airport in the UK. - The conference will bring together engineers, software developers, researchers and industry leaders. - Conference information is available at More information.

The details: - The program will focus on the future of software engineering and how best practice should evolve. - Organizers say the agenda will cover the impact of AI on software assurance in an AI-driven world. - The event will include expert presentations, technical discussions and networking. - Attendees will look at how engineering best practice can evolve while maintaining rigorous standards. - Andrew Banks, chairman of the MISRA C Working Group, said AI can help engineers sift through large volumes of legacy code and accelerate routine development tasks. - Andrew Banks said AI must be deployed appropriately and safely. - Andrew Banks said human expertise remains important for directing, validating and taking responsibility for deployed software. - David Ward, operations director for the MISRA Consortium, said software engineering is continually evolving and AI is the latest stage in that story. - David Ward said bringing the community together helps people discuss shared challenges, learn from each other and keep best practice aligned with technology.

Between the lines: - MISRA is using the conference to reinforce a central message: AI can assist engineering, but it does not replace human accountability. - The event also serves as a forum for shaping future MISRA guidance as developers face new technical and governance questions. - The timing suggests the organization sees AI as a near-term issue for teams working on software where failure has high consequences.

What's next: - MISRA says attendees will hear from subject-matter experts, share experiences and offer feedback on the engineering challenges they see most clearly. - The conference is expected to feed into broader discussion about the future of MISRA guidelines. - MISRA will continue using research projects, technical guidance and industry collaboration to support safer, more secure and more reliable software development.

The bottom line: - MISRA is putting AI, human accountability and software assurance at the center of its next major industry conversation.