AI and the Enterprise Revolution: Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi

Nov 18, 2025

Ali Ghodsi, Co-founder and CEO of Databricks, shares his journey from frustration with enterprise data tools to creating a company valued over $100 billion. He discusses the importance of strong partnerships in the multi-cloud and AI landscape. Ghodsi emphasizes the need for realistic AI expectations and highlights early successes in generative AI like chatbots. He warns against underestimating required talent and stresses the importance of quality and explainability in AI systems, while comparing the evolution of AI to the growth of the internet.

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ANECDOTE

Founding Databricks From Frustration

Ali Ghodsi described starting Databricks in 2013 out of frustration that enterprises couldn't leverage data for AI.
He and his team decided to build the solution themselves after open-sourcing and evangelizing failed to move incumbents.

ADVICE

Prioritize Pragmatic Product Investment

Invest capital into products that address real, repeatable enterprise needs rather than hype.
Focus hiring and R&D on features customers use in production, like Agent Bricks for reliable task automation.

INSIGHT

Benchmarks Should Mirror Real Tasks

Agent Bricks targets mundane enterprise tasks and benchmarks agents on those specific workflows.
Optimizing for predictable, boring tasks improves production-quality agent automation faster than chasing frontier benchmarks.

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Databricks—now valued at over $100 billion—is redefining the future of data and AI for enterprises worldwide. Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and CEO of Databricks, joins David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, to share Databricks’ founding story, how the company is driving real-world impact through innovation and partnerships, and his vision for the future of AI. This session was filmed at Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference 2025 on September 10, 2025.

The opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to take any particular action, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. This material may contain forward-looking statements. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or information contained herein and disclaim any liability whatsoever for reliance on such information for any purpose. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only and is not used to imply any ownership or license rights between any such company and Goldman Sachs.

A transcript is provided for convenience and may differ from the original video or audio content. Goldman Sachs is not responsible for any errors in the transcript. This material should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of Goldman Sachs.

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