Catalog & Cocktails: The Honest, No-BS Data Podcast Season 11 Premiere: What happened in 2025 and where are we going in 2026
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Jan 8, 2026 In this lively discussion, Juan and Tim reflect on the dramatic shifts in the data landscape throughout 2025, focusing on AI's evolution from hype to practical application. They dive into the importance of semantics and ontologies for enterprise AI, while also addressing the notable trend of tool consolidation among vendors. Tim emphasizes the need for data teams to become proactive partners in driving value, and they enthusiastically predict that ontology adoption will grow in 2026. Expect insights into balancing governance with practical action and a touch of humor along the way!
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AI Moved From POC To Production
- In 2025 many AI POCs matured into production, revealing what works and what doesn't.
- Juan Sequeda says low-hanging AI wins are real but transformational uses still need stronger foundations.
Semantics Became Mission Critical
- Semantics and ontologies became popular because agents require richer shared meaning than BI semantic layers provide.
- Juan Sequeda argues knowledge graphs and ontologies are essential for agent-driven use cases.
Plan For Continued Consolidation
- Expect continued tool consolidation across databases, streaming, catalogs, and AI as vendors aim to cover more of the stack.
- Plan vendor strategy around platforms that can realistically bridge infrastructure, analytics, and business-facing layers.