
Open at Intel
The Open at Intel podcast is about all things open source, from software to security to artificial intelligence to Linux and beyond. Each episode brings you fresh perspectives with sophisticated, leading-edge, free-ranging conversations from some of the best minds in the open source community.
Latest episodes

Jun 5, 2025 • 24min
Building Innovation with Open Source AI
In this episode, we hear from Melissa McKay, Head of Developer Relations, who discusses her involvement in open source communities, especially Jenkins and OPEA. She highlights the significance of AI in today's technology landscape, touching on its increasing prevalence and integration into various processes. The discussion also covers the challenges and opportunities AI brings, including security concerns and the need for standardization through projects like the Open Platform for Enterprise AI (OPEA). Melissa provides insights into learning and adapting to new technological trends, emphasizing the importance of having a safe environment for experimentation and continuous learning.
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
02:39 Involvement with Jenkins and Community Support
03:58 AI and Its Growing Impact
07:52 Challenges and Security in AI
09:24 Adapting to New Technologies
21:06 Encouragement for Community Involvement
Guest:
Melissa McKay is passionate about Java, DevOps and Continuous Delivery. She is currently Head of Developer Relations for JFrog and a member of the Technical Steering Committee of the Open Platform for Enterprise AI (OPEA). Melissa has been recognized as a Java Champion and a Docker Captain, is an international speaker, and is co-author of the O'Reilly title, DevOps Tools for Java Developers.

May 29, 2025 • 21min
Democratizing Kubernetes for AI and ML with Kubeflow
In this episode, we hear from Andrey Velichkevich, a key contributor to the Kubeflow project, an ecosystem of open source projects to streamline the AI and ML lifecycle on Kubernetes. Andrey shares his extensive experience with the project, explains the various components and their use cases, and discusses the community's focus on accessibility and collaboration. They cover the project's evolution, the unique challenges and solutions offered, and the importance of engaging new contributors through initiatives like Google Summer of Code. The conversation highlights the future roadmap for Kubeflow, the significance of cross-project collaboration, and the key to creating a supportive and rewarding contributor environment.
00:00 Introduction and Greetings
00:14 Overview of the Kubeflow Project
01:20 Kubeflow's Ecosystem and Components
02:54 Target Audience and Use Cases
05:12 Future Roadmap and Goals
09:38 Community Engagement and Contributions
19:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Guest:
Andrey Velichkevich is a member of Kubeflow Steering Committee and a co-chair of Kubeflow AutoML and Training WG. Additionally, Andrey is an active member of the CNCF WG AI. He is one of the authors of the CNCF AI white paper and he is helping with various AI initiatives from the CNCF community.

May 28, 2025 • 24min
AI Agents and Developer Evolution: Bridging Human and Machine
In this episode, we hear from Janikiram MSV, an industry analyst and advisor based in Hyderabad, India, who specializes in AI agents and cloud native technology. We spoke about the evolution of AI agents, from chatbots to personalized AI assistants, and their advancement to AI agents that can access data, utilize APIs, and perform tasks autonomously. The discussion also covers the impact of these technologies on various fields, especially for developers, through examples like app modernization and AI-driven tools. We address important considerations such as authentication, authorization, and the future role of junior developers in an AI-augmented world. This episode sheds light on how AI agents can significantly transform workflow efficiency across multiple domains.
00:00 Introduction
00:56 Evolution of AI Agents
06:10 Impact on Developers and IT Operations
07:17 Authentication and Authorization Challenges
09:41 Future of AI in Development
20:19 Advice for Junior Developers
22:23 Conclusion and Future Discussions
Guest:
Janakiram MSV is an an industry analyst, strategic advisor, and a practicing architect. Through his speaking, writing, and analysis, he helps businesses take advantage of emerging technologies.

May 22, 2025 • 24min
Challenges and Triumphs in Kubernetes Security
In this episode recorded at KubeCon in London, Cailyn Edwards, a security engineer at Okta, shares her unique journey from a rough guide and farmer to a security professional. Based in Canada, she discusses her dual life of securing platforms in her day job and co-chairing Kubernetes SIG Security in her community role. Cailyn emphasizes the importance of diverse backgrounds in the security field for better risk evaluation and shares tips on entering this realm, regardless of one's starting point. The conversation also touches on challenges like open source sustainability, economic pressures, and leveraging AI in coding, along with practical advice for new contributors to cloud-native technologies.
00:00 Welcome
00:31 Meet Kaylin: From Farmer to Security Engineer
03:35 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives in Security Risk Assessment
05:07 Understanding SIG Security in Kubernetes
09:24 Challenges in Open Source Contributions
17:03 Identity and Security in the Cloud Native World
21:35 Final Thoughts

May 15, 2025 • 22min
Flatcar Linux: Made for Containers
In this episode, Danielle Tal and Thilo Fromm join us to discuss Flatcar Linux. They introduce Flatcar as a Linux operating system designed specifically for containers and Kubernetes workloads, highlighting its automation, self-healing capabilities, and security features. They emphasize how Flatcar simplifies operations for startups and large companies alike by automating OS provisioning and maintenance. We discussed contributor engagement and the project's involvement with the CNCF. They also share intriguing use cases, like a Kubernetes cluster running on a tractor fleet, and stress the importance of community contributions, not just in code but in evangelism and documentation.
00:00 Introduction
01:05 What is Flatcar?
02:01 Flatcar's Automation and Self-Healing Capabilities
04:10 User Experience and Testing
05:06 Ideal Users and Use Cases
10:36 Community and Contributions
13:38 Getting Started with Contributions
16:59 Impact and Future Directions
19:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Guest:
Danielle Tal is a Program Manager at Microsoft and an integral part of the team responsible for maintaining Flatcar Container Linux. The team is contributes to Linux OS distributions and Linux Security within Azure and other upstream projects. With a background in supporting diverse enterprise cloud applications as a support engineer, Danielle has transitioned into a management role, overseeing Docker EMEA support before joining the Flatcar team.
Thilo Fromm is an engineering manager and works on Community Linux distributions and Linux Security at Azure. Thilo's team helps maintaining Flatcar Container Linux. He has given talks at FOSDEM, FrOSCon, KubeCon, Open Source Summit, Cloud-Native Rejekts, and various meetups like Kubernetes Community Days.
Thilo started his career in embedded systems with hardware design and roll-your-own /from scratch embedded Linux, kernel and plumbing level development, and later virtualisation. After working for various cloud providers in engineering and management positions, he went full cloud native in 2019. Nowadays Thilo works on operating systems for cloud-native environments with a special focus on Flatcar Container Linux.

May 8, 2025 • 21min
Demystifying Cyber Resilience and the Tools That Help
In this episode, Michael Lieberman, Co-founder and CTO of Kusari, walks us through the intersection of open source software and security. We discuss Mike's extensive involvement in OpenSSF projects like SLSA and GUAC, which provide essential frameworks for securing the software development life cycle (SDLC) and managing software supply chains. He explains how these tools help verify software provenance and manage vulnerabilities. Additionally, we explore regulatory concerns such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the vital role of the recently released Open SSF Security Baseline (OSPS Baseline) in helping organizations comply with such regulations. Mike also shares insights into the evolution of open source security practices, the importance of reducing complexity for developers, and the potential benefits of orchestrating security similarly to Kubernetes. We conclude with a look at upcoming projects and current pilots aiming to simplify and enhance open source security.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:19 Mike's Background and Role in Open Source
01:35 Exploring SLSA and GUAC Projects
04:57 Cyber Resiliency Act Overview
06:54 OpenSSF Security Baseline
11:29 Encouraging Community Involvement
18:39 Final Thoughts
Resources:
OpenSSF's OSPS Baseline
GUAC
SLSA
KubeCon Keynote: Cutting Through the Fog: Clarifying CRA Compliance in C... Eddie Knight & Michael Lieberman
Guest:
Michael Lieberman is co-founder and CTO of Kusari where he helps build transparency and security in the software supply chain. Michael is an active member of the open-source community, co-creating the GUAC and FRSCA projects and co-leading the CNCF’s Secure Software Factory Reference Architecture whitepaper. He is an elected member of the OpenSSF Governing Board and Technical Advisory Council along with CNCF TAG Security Lead and an SLSA steering committee member.

May 2, 2025 • 24min
Project Sylva and the Future of Telecom
Tim Irnich from SUSE shares his work with Edge computing, focusing on the telecommunications industry. He highlights the importance of standardization and interoperability across the industry, specifically focusing on the widespread adoption of Linux and Kubernetes. Tim also elaborates on Project Sylva, an initiative under the Linux Foundation, aimed at creating a standardized stack for the European telco operators. We also discuss challenges and opportunities presented by the vast array of open source projects within the CNCF landscape and the potential for AI to enhance network efficiency and reliability. The episode provides a comprehensive look into the collaborative efforts and technological advancements shaping the telecom sector.
00:00 Welcome
01:14 Open Source Adoption in the Telco Industry
02:14 Challenges and Standardization in Telco Networks
04:35 Curating Reliable Stacks for Telco
06:11 Project Silva: An Open Source Initiative
18:55 AI in the Telecom Industry
22:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Tim Irnich is the product manager for SUSE Edge for Telco, an open source based horizontal telco cloud solution. He is also a member of the Board of Directors at the LF Europe Sylva Project. Tim has been active in telco related open source communities such as LF Networking, OPNFV, OpenDaylight, OpenStack/OpenInfra for over a decade and held positions on several committees including the LFN TAC, TSC and Board of Directors in OPNFV and OpenDaylight. Before joining SUSE in 2018, Tim worked at Ericsson, where he ran the open source and ecosystem program for Ericsson's cloud business unit and helped found Ericsson's open source development arm that is today known as Ericsson Software Technologies.

Apr 24, 2025 • 23min
Data Privacy and Efficiency with Bacalhau Compute Over Data
In this episode, David Aronchick, CEO and Co-founder of Expanso discusses his experiences and insights from working with Kubernetes since its early days at Google. David shares his journey from working on Kubernetes to co-founding Kubeflow and his latest project, Bacalhau, which focuses on combining compute and data management in distributed systems. Highlighting the challenges of data processing and privacy, particularly in edge computing and regulated environments, David emphasizes cost-saving benefits and the importance of local data processing. Throughout, privacy and regulatory concerns are underscored along with solutions for efficient and secure data handling.
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:23 Early Days of Kubernetes
01:05 Kubernetes Community and Evolution
02:23 AI, ML, and KubeFlow
03:40 Current Work and Data Challenges
08:20 Privacy and Security Concerns
14:21 Real-World Applications and Benefits
20:42 Conclusion
Learn more about Intel® Liftoff for Startups: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/tools/oneapi/liftoff.html
Learn more about our collaboration with Expanso in the Open Platform for Enterprise AI (OPEA) project: https://opea.dev
Guest:
David Aronchick, Founder and CEO at Expanso, formerly led open source machine learning strategy at Azure, managed Kubernetes product development at Google, and co-founded Kubeflow. Previous roles at Microsoft, Amazon, and Chef.

Apr 24, 2025 • 21min
Evolving Software Deployment With GitLab
In this episode, we sit down with Victor Nagy of GitLab to discuss his role and GitLab's initiatives. Victor details the transition from using a custom solution to integrating Flux for smoother application deployment. Victor also talks about GitLab's commitment to the open source community, contributions to Flux, and becoming a potential maintainer. We also touch on what makes developer tools great, developer experience, and developments in AI and security, highlighting the rapid pace of innovation in these fields.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:36 Key Open Source Projects: Flux and GitLab
01:17 Choosing Flux
03:42 Community Contributions and Future Plans
05:35 Deployment and Product Management
12:31 GitLab's Comprehensive Platform and Differentiators
18:38 Security and AI
19:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Apr 16, 2025 • 19min
The Future of AI Workloads with Slinky
In this episode, Marlow Warnicke, lead for the Slinky project, and Tim Wickberg, CTO of SchedMD, join us to discuss their work integrating HPC scheduler Slurm with Kubernetes. They provide background on Slurm's origins, its open source nature, and its evolution into Slinky to address Kubernetes's limitations in scheduling AI and HPC workloads. The discussion touches on the unique challenges in the MLOps space, the need for fine-grained resource control, and their collaborative efforts with various communities to enhance Kubernetes's efficiency. They also share the roadmap for Slinky and avenues for community collaboration and contribution.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Introductions
00:39 Overview of Slurm and Its Evolution
01:44 The Fusion of Slurm and Kubernetes: Slinky
04:14 Challenges in Kubernetes Scheduling
09:07 Unique Challenges in MLOps
12:58 Community Collaboration and Future Plans
16:41 Getting Involved and Final Thoughts