08 Sep The Value of Database Expertise for AI and Machine Learning
In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more commonplace, database expertise is becoming increasingly valuable. Deevid De Meyer, founder of Brainjar, a company that specialises in AI, knows this all too well. In this interview with Monin, he discusses the importance of database expertise for AI and machine learning.
He talks about how hiring outside managed services for data platforms can help foster innovation. Finally, Deevid talks about Database Administrators (DBA) turning into Database Reliability Engineers (DBRE) and how this shift is helping drive innovation in the field of AI.
An Interview with Deevid De Meyer, Founder of Brainjar
Top of the pyramid
When Deevid talks about his field and passion, he starts out by pointing out the amazing use cases that have only become possible in the past few years. Things like human-level language comprehension, realtime object recognition and predictive machine learning. But stick around for a few minutes and you’ll quickly hear Deevid talking about the ‘terms and conditions’ behind the amazing possibilities.
“The thing about AI and ML is that they can be extremely valuable, but – like the golden top of a pyramid – need to be built atop of a very solid foundation. That foundation is data. There’s a lot of buzz about AI and Machine Learning, but truth is they simply don’t work when the data layer isn’t properly organised.”
“For us, there are roughly three layers in the data pyramid. On top sits data science, which is what most people think of when they hear ‘artificial intelligence’. This is where all the flashy applications live, but these applications are only possible because of two other layers that provide organisation and structure to the data.”
“The next layer down is data engineering. Data engineering is all about building the right data pipelines, ensuring data quality and making sure the data is organised in a way that allows for efficient processing by the AI algorithms.”
“And finally, at the bottom of the pyramid, we have database administration. Database administration is all about ensuring the database is available, backed up and secure. It’s a very important part of working with data, but it’s also the most overlooked.”
“We know we can always call on Monin when when our data scientists need a database expert to make sure our database infrastructure is rock-solid. This allows us to focus on what we’re good at – building amazing AI applications.”
Building on foundations
Deevid is quick to point out that building foundations for AI is about more than picking the right technologies. It’s also about having the right people, and making sure they have the time to focus on value-adding activities.
“The database itself lies at the very foundation, but it’s not the only thing that’s important. The other piece of the puzzle is what you call ‘data platform services’. This is everything from data quality and data governance to data security and compliance. These are all vital pieces of the puzzle, but they’re not always easy to get right.”
“That’s where managed services come in. When you outsource these services to a company that specializes in them, you free up your own team to focus on the things that they’re good at. And that’s where the real innovation happens.”
From DBA to DBRE
“It’s also worth noting that the role of the database engineers is changing as well. We’re seeing a lot of DBAs become DBREs – database reliability engineers. A shift that Monin is going through as well. This shift is happening because the role of the DBA is becoming more and more about ensuring that the data platform is reliable and performant, rather than just managing the database itself.”
“At Brainjar, we are fortunate to be part of the Cronos Group, So we can always call on Monin and the other companies within the group whenever we need their expertise. For example, when our data scientists need a database expert to make sure our database infrastructure is rock-solid. This allows us to focus on what we’re good at – building amazing AI applications – and leave the database management to the experts.”
In our interview, Deevid stressed the importance of database expertise for AI and machine learning. He noted that when you outsource your database needs to a third-party managed services provider, it fosters innovation within your company. We’re excited to see how this trend develops and how it helps businesses of all sizes harness the power of AI and machine learning. If you’d like to find out more about outsourcing your database or need help finding the right partner, contact us. We have years of experience helping companies just like yours keep their data safe and accessible.
