Gerrit Kazmaier, VP and GM for Database, Data Analytics and Looker at Google, teams up with Sean Falconer, a former academic and startup founder now leading marketing at Skyflow. They dive deep into the interplay of AI and data analytics. Key topics include the critical role of data quality in AI success, the integration of traditional databases with AI to enhance workflows, and the evolving landscape of data management. They also touch on the significance of human oversight in AI applications and the transformative effects of large language models on technology interaction.
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Quick takeaways
Gerrit Kazmaier highlights how the evolving role of data analytics at Google is shifting towards leveraging unstructured data for generative AI applications.
The podcast emphasizes the redefinition of data quality and preparation, showcasing how AI models can effectively process messy data with innovative prompting strategies.
Deep dives
Garrett Cosmaere's Career Journey
Garrett Cosmaere, currently the VP of Database, Data Analytics, and Looker at Google, has built a rich career in the data and analytics space, starting as a junior developer at SAP. His decade-long tenure there coincided with the development of key innovations such as SAP HANA, marking his involvement in the infrastructure of enterprise-grade databases. After moving to Google around three and a half years ago, he transitioned to leading data and analytics services, showcasing his adaptable skills across different data technologies. Cosmaere's insights reflect the evolution of data roles and the broadening of responsibilities as technology advances.
The Intersection of Data Quality and AI
Data quality plays a crucial role in AI projects, with a notable shift in how it is perceived in the era of large foundation models. While traditionally high-quality data was essential for training effective models, advancements now show that models can work with messy data, redefining the approach toward data preparation. This new era emphasizes the importance of prompting strategies and the contexts presented to the models, significantly impacting their outputs. Companies are exploring novel data sources, particularly unstructured data, which presents vast opportunities for generative AI applications.
Transforming Data Management through AI
Generative AI is set to revolutionize traditional data management, reengineering approaches that have long dominated the landscape. The adoption of Python as a preferred programming language over SQL for generating queries represents this shift, as it offers significant advantages in modularity and reusability. Companies are beginning to see the benefits of merging structured and unstructured data while enhancing the accessibility of real-time data through integrated workflows. This convergence of technologies aims to streamline the complexities of data interactions within enterprise systems and improve analytical capabilities.
Enterprise Adoption of AI and Future Implications
Despite the widespread experimentation with AI technologies across various sectors, significant challenges remain for organizations with legacy data systems, which inhibit broader AI adoption. Leading technology companies are leveraging generative AI to enhance existing use cases, such as improving customer retention through better understanding of unstructured support data. As businesses recognize the potential of data in shaping autonomous applications, the next wave of innovations in enterprise software will likely evolve from real-time interactions with data. The focus will shift to developing comprehensive systems that prioritize data insights, ultimately fostering a transformative approach to problem-solving.
Google needs no introduction, and is renowned for its data and analytics capabilities.
Gerrit Kazmaier is the VP and GM for Database, Data Analytics and Looker at Google. He has a long history in the space, and in this episode he speaks with Sean Falconer about data and analytics in the AI era.
Sean’s been an academic, startup founder, and Googler. He has published works covering a wide range of topics from information visualization to quantum computing. Currently, Sean is Head of Marketing and Developer Relations at Skyflow and host of the podcast Partially Redacted, a podcast about privacy and security engineering. You can connect with Sean on Twitter @seanfalconer.