Data-Driven Podcast

AtScale
  • 0.0 (0)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Data-Driven AtScale Podcast is designed to explore the impact of making smarter data-driven decisions at scale with foremost Data / AI / BI thought leaders and top technologists.Here you will find a collection of practical advice and candid conversations with industry innovators, covering technology trends, lessons learned, organizational transformation experiences, best use cases, career advice, and much more. You can find and watch all of our episodes from this page. Be sure to subscribe.

  1. JAN 28

    AI Needs Context: Semantic Layers, Metadata & Trust in 2026

    In this episode of the AtScale Data-Driven Podcast, Dave Mariani sits down with Juan Sequeda, Principal Researcher at ServiceNow and former Head of the AI Lab at data.world, to explore what’s next for analytics, AI, and trust in 2026. As AI becomes embedded across the enterprise, one issue is emerging as a hard blocker: lack of context. Large Language Models are powerful, but without semantic layers, governed metadata, and shared business definitions, they struggle to produce reliable, explainable answers. Juan and Dave discuss why metadata is no longer “documentation,” but operational infrastructure, and how semantic layers are becoming the foundation for trusted AI systems. They break down why dashboards alone can’t deliver prescriptive analytics, how AI agents are shifting analytics from insights to action, and why enterprises are consolidating around platforms that can govern context at scale. The conversation also covers: Why AI and LLMs fail without semantic contextThe rise of semantic layers as enterprise AI infrastructureHow metadata, knowledge graphs, and governance convergeWhat AI means for dashboards, agents, and analytics workflowsThe future of tech jobs, systems thinking, and human skillsIf you’re a data leader, analytics architect, or AI practitioner trying to understand how to make AI trustworthy in production, this episode explains why semantics, not models, are the real bottleneck. 🔗 Learn more about AtScale’s semantic layer and Model Context Protocol (MCP): https://www.atscale.com 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on AI, analytics, and data infrastructure.

    33 min

  2. 12/16/2025

    How MCP + Semantic Layers Turn LLMs Into Trusted BI Analysts

    Large Language Models (LLMs) are transforming analytics, but only when paired with the right foundation. In this episode, AtScale’s CTO and co-founder Dave Mariani, co-founder Dianne Wood, and product director Petar Staykov show how Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the semantic layer unlock trusted, governed, enterprise-ready AI. You’ll get a full end-to-end walkthrough of Claude using AtScale’s MCP server to: Discover available semantic models via list-models tools Understand metrics, attributes, and dimensional context using describe-model Run fully governed analytical queries, without writing SQL, through run-queryGenerate insights, summarize trends, and even build dashboards autonomously Learn why LLMs struggle without structured business logic and how semantic layers eliminate hallucinations and governance drift.  You’ll also learn how AI will soon help build semantic models, not just query them—enabling faster metric definitions, autonomous metadata generation, and an “army of agents” that maintain semantic consistency as businesses evolve.  Key topics in this episode: • Why MCP is the JDBC-moment for LLMs • How semantic layers make AI deterministic, trustworthy, and governed • Real demos of LLM insights far beyond simple Q&A • Automating semantic model creation using agents and SML • The future: AI copilots for BI, analytics, and semantic modeling

    34 min

  3. 12/10/2025

    The AI Frontier: Semantic Layers for Autonomous Agents with Jens Kröhnert

    Dave Mariani and Jens Kröhnert explore the "AI Frontier:” how semantic layers enable AI agents to operate autonomously without hallucinations or governance drift. Both veterans of scaling Microsoft BI stacks on Hadoop, they discuss why machines need semantic context even more than humans do. Topics include the AI Frontier operational model from Microsoft Research, automating semantic model development with Oraylis's Datamate tool, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) as universal infrastructure for LLMs. Dave demonstrates pairing Claude with AtScale's semantic layer to generate insights, identify sales patterns, and design campaigns. All grounded in governed metrics. Independent benchmarks show semantic layers improve LLM accuracy by 4-5x. Essential for data leaders preparing for agentic AI and generative BI at enterprise scale. Learn more: atscale.com

    38 min

  4. 11/10/2025

    Composable Analytics & the Future of the Semantic Layer: Building for the Age of AI Agents

    In this episode of AtScale’s Data-Driven Podcast, host Dave Mariani, Co-Founder & CTO at AtScale, is joined by Petar Staykov, Product Director, and Daniel Gray, VP of Solutions Engineering, for a deep dive into composable analytics—the architectural shift that’s transforming how enterprises model, govern, and scale data in the era of AI agents. Key Takeaway Composable analytics isn’t just a design pattern—it’s the foundation for governed, scalable, and AI-ready data ecosystems. Learn how AtScale’s Universal Semantic Layer and open-source Semantic Modeling Language (SML) are redefining interoperability across BI, AI, and agent frameworks.

    32 min

  5. 08/12/2025

    How Agentic AI and Semantic Layers Are Transforming Enterprise Analytics

    In this episode of the Data-Driven Podcast, AtScale CTO and Co-founder Dave Mariani is joined by Rich Williams, SVP of Partnerships and Strategy at Hexaware, and Prashant Dahalkar, VP of the Cloud Data Practice. They dive into the future of analytics through the lens of agentic AI, semantic layers, and enterprise AI governance. Fresh from attending Snowflake and Databricks Summits, the trio unpacks the momentum behind AI agents, the rise of semantic standards, and how organizations can accelerate business outcomes with governed data architectures. Rich offers insight into how modern business users can finally talk to their data. At the same time, Prashant highlights the role of modular agents, MDM, and self-healing data tools in Hexaware’s data strategy. Whether you’re modernizing legacy stacks or scaling data literacy across your organization, this conversation sheds light on how enterprises can move from experimentation to enterprise-grade AI adoption without sacrificing trust or governance.

    35 min

  6. 11/08/2024

    Open Source Semantics: Setting the Standard for Interoperability with Databricks and AtScale

    In this episode of the Data Driven Podcast, Dave Mariani, CTO and Co-Founder of AtScale, sits down with Dale Williamson, EMEA CTO at Databricks, to explore the transformative role of open source standards and semantic layers in modern analytics. They discuss the importance of interoperability in data infrastructure, the impact of generative AI on democratizing analytics, and how the right semantic layer can bridge complex data to natural language for everyone. Together, AtScale and Databricks envision a future where data insights are accessible to all, empowering organizations to build with flexibility, trust, and freedom from vendor lock-in.

    31 min

  7. 11/01/2024

    Introducing SML: The Open Standard for Seamless Semantic Layer Integration

    In this episode, AtScale’s CTO and Co-founder, Dave Mariani and VP of Engineering John Langton, discuss the exciting open-source release of the Semantic Modeling Language (SML) and its transformative potential for the data analytics industry. They dive into how SML establishes the first open standard for the semantic layer, enabling businesses to seamlessly define, share, and scale their data models across platforms like Power BI, Tableau, and Looker. John also explores the broader industry impact, highlighting how SML will foster cross-platform collaboration, enhance AI capabilities, and drive innovation by creating a unified data language that empowers businesses to unlock the full potential of their data. For additional details on SML, check out this blog post.

    18 min

  8. 11/01/2024

    Revolutionizing Data: New Research on Natural Language Prompting with AtScale’s Semantic Layer and Generative AI

    Welcome to the latest episode of the Data-Driven Podcast! Host Dave Mariani is joined by Jeff Curran, Lead Data Scientist at AtScale, for a deep dive into the transformative power of Generative AI in business intelligence. Jeff shares his pioneering research, demonstrating how AtScale’s semantic layer bridges the gap between natural language queries and accurate business insights. Explore the challenges and solutions in integrating AI with BI tools and learn how this innovation can make data-driven decision-making more efficient and precise. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead in the evolving landscape of AI and business intelligence. For more information, download the white paper now!

    29 min
See All (39)

About

The Data-Driven AtScale Podcast is designed to explore the impact of making smarter data-driven decisions at scale with foremost Data / AI / BI thought leaders and top technologists.Here you will find a collection of practical advice and candid conversations with industry innovators, covering technology trends, lessons learned, organizational transformation experiences, best use cases, career advice, and much more. You can find and watch all of our episodes from this page. Be sure to subscribe.

Information

  • Creator
    AtScale
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Data-Driven Podcast
  • Show Website
    Data-Driven Podcast