Catalog & Cocktails: The Honest, No-BS Data Podcast 2026 Trends in the data world with Tony Baer and Matt Housley
Jan 15, 2026
Tony Baer, an esteemed industry analyst known for his insights into data and AI, teams up with Matt Housley, host of 'It's About Data' and a seasoned data practitioner. They dive into the rise of agentic architectures and the vital role of semantics in AI, emphasizing the importance of a shared understanding. The conversation tackles the pitfalls of 'magic' thinking around LLMs, the potential of graphs in analytics, and the historical cycles of data architectures. Tony and Matt also offer practical advice for navigating the evolving data landscape.
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Holiday Travel And Year-End Forecasts
- Tony Baer describes a crazy holiday combining Hanukkah and "Jewish Christmas" with weekend trips to Boston and D.C.
- He mentions preparing year-end forecasts amid the family travel chaos.
AI Magical Thinking Needs Grounding
- People are engaging in "AI magical thinking" by assuming LLMs can replace human-driven semantics and governance.
- Tony Baer and Matt Housley argue ontologies and shared understanding remain essential alongside LLMs.
Keep Humans In Ontology Design
- Do involve humans in both descriptive and prescriptive ontology work instead of fully outsourcing it to LLMs.
- Use LLMs as aides, not decision-makers, to avoid proliferating inconsistent definitions across the organization.