If Scrum was designed today from scratch, in a world of autonomous agents, large language models, and software written at the speed of thought, would it look any different?

There’s a provocative idea emerging right now: that Scrum was always, in a way, an AI protocol.

A system built on empiricism, rapid feedback loops, small batch sizes, and adaptive planning, principles that align almost perfectly with how intelligent systems learn and improve.

And now, as we move from purely human teams to hybrid human-AI teams, that idea isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s being built.

Today we’re exploring what might be the next major evolution in software development: Scrum in the age of AI, and what happens when AI becomes not just a tool, but a teammate.

There is no better person to lead this conversation than Jeff Sutherland.

Jeff is the co-creator of Scrum, one of the original signatories of the Agile Manifesto, and the founder of Scrum Inc..

His work has transformed how millions of teams build software, and increasingly, how organizations operate far beyond tech. He’s also the author of the bestselling book Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time, which helped bring Scrum principles into the mainstream.

Before all of that, Jeff was a fighter pilot, a West Point graduate, and a technologist who has consistently operated at the intersection of discipline, experimentation, and innovation.

Now, with his work on ScrumAI, he’s once again pushing the boundaries , asking what happens when AI participates directly in backlog refinement, sprint planning, estimation, and delivery.

What does velocity mean in a world where part of the team is non-human? How do we preserve accountability, creativity, and team cohesion in hybrid environments? And what does this mean for the future of the software engineer?

Stay tuned to learn the answers.

Enjoy!

155. Jeff Sutherland. Scrum Was Always An AI Protocol.