What we learned at the Databricks AI Summit: Real connections in a digital world

What’s happening in the world of data and AI? How are organizations using these technologies? And how important is it that we don’t lose the art of old-school interaction? A month on from the Databricks Data and AI Summit at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, here are my takeaways from the leading event for the global data, analytics and AI community. 

The ecosystem’s scaling up  

The data space is booming. Reflecting data’s increasing prominence in every business’s operations, this event is growing every year. There were 5,000 people at the summit in 2022, 16,000 in 2024 and 22,000 this year. Top tier organizations all want to be a part of that burgeoning ecosystem, whether it’s to talk about Databricks, Snowflake or other cloud-based data platforms. 

People want to connect 

What struck me from all our conversations at customer booths and client meetings was how much people wanted to be there to connect with their peers. Many of the clients we caught up with thought it was great to have representation from their recruitment partners, which shows how much they value a long-term, meaningful relationship with an expert who understands their business and is always striving to learn about their industry, rather than a transactional relationship with someone who’s only interested in filling a role. 

Beating the bots 

One client in particular was happy to meet me in person because it showed I’m real. People are being approached on WhatsApp and LinkedIn by bots and fake recruiters asking to see their resume, probably with the intention of selling their data. These events are a great opportunity to build trust. 

Clients also find it so much more impactful and memorable meeting a potential candidate at an event within the tech ecosystem, rather than being presented with their credentials on a screen, along with hundreds of other candidates.  

Organizations are heavily utilizing data to increase efficiency 

It was fascinating to hear the many different ways organizations are utilizing data and AI every day. Skyscanner use data and AI to regulate their pricing and offerings. Sports betting site DraftKings uses data to detect early fraud. The movie Moneyball showed us the value of data in assessing sporting performance, and the Texas Rangers baseball team accordingly use data analytics to do their scouting. 

Get in touch  

Do any of these trends resonate with your business or your career? If you want to discuss the main themes from the data and AI summit, or talk about finding your next hire or your next role, please get in touch with me for an informal conversation.