Send us a text In this episode, we're joined by Sam Debruyn and Dorian Van den Heede who reflect on their talks at SQL Bits 2025 and dive into the technical content they presented. Sam walks through how dbt integrates with Microsoft Fabric, explaining how it improves lakehouse and warehouse workflows by adding modularity, testing, and documentation to SQL development. He also touches on Fusion’s SQL optimization features and how it compares to tools like SQLMesh. Dorian shares his MLOps demo, which simulates beating football bookmakers using historical data,nshowing how to build a full pipeline with Azure ML, from feature engineering to model deployment. They discuss the role of Python modeling in dbt, orchestration with Azure ML, and the practical challenges of implementing MLOps in real-world scenarios. Toward the end, they explore how AI tools like Copilot are changing the way engineers learn and debug code, raising questions about explainability, skill development, and the future of junior roles in tech. It’s rich conversation covering dbt, MLOps, Python, Azure ML, and the evolving role of AI in engineering.

Send us a text Welcome to the cozy corner of the tech world! Datatopics is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society. In this episode of Data Topics, we sit down with Nick Schouten — data engineer at dataroots — for a full recap of KubeCon Europe 2025 and a deep dive into the current and future state of Kubernetes. We talk through what’s actually happening in the Kubernetes ecosystem — from platform engineering trends to AI infra challenges — and why some teams are doubling down while others are stepping away. Here’s what we cover: What Kubernetes actually is, and how to explain it beyond the buzzwordWhen Kubernetes is the right choice (e.g., hybrid environments, GPU-heavy workloads) — and when it’s overkillHow teams are trying to host LLMs and AI models on Kubernetes, and the blockers they’re hitting (GPUs, complexity, cost)GitOps innovations spotted at KubeCon — like tools that convert UI clicks into Git commits for infrastructure-as-codeWhy observability is still one of Kubernetes’ biggest weaknesses, and how a wave of new startups are trying to solve itThe push to improve developer experience for ML and data teams (no more YAML overload)The debate around abstraction vs control — and how some teams are turning away from Kubernetes entirely in favor of simpler toolsWhat “vibe coding” means in an LLM-driven world, and how voice-to-code workflows are changing how we write infrastructureWhether the future of Kubernetes is more “visible and accessible,” or further under the hoodIf you're a data engineer, MLOps practitioner, platform lead, or simply trying to stay ahead of the curve in infrastructure and AI — this episode is packed with relevant insights from someone who's hands-on with both the tools and the teaching.

Send us a text Welcome to the cozy corner of the tech world! Datatopics is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society. This week, co-host Ben is joined by Jackie Janssen, former Chief Data Officer at CM, author of AI: De Hype Voorbij, and an evangelist for pragmatic, human-centered AI. Together, they trace the winding path from early tech roles to enterprise transformation, exploring how AI can actually serve humans (and not just the hype machine). In this episode: Leadership in AI transformation: From KBC to CM, lessons on creating cultural buy-in.Building effective data teams: Why the first hire isn’t always a data engineer.AI governance: What makes a strong AI Council and why CEOs should care.Product and process thinking: How MLOps, data factories, and product mindsets intersect.Agents and autonomy: The future of work with AI teammates, not just tools.The human edge in a machine world: A preview of Jackie’s next book on rediscovering humanity in the age of AI.Curious about Jackie’s take on AI agents, cultural inertia, or what really makes a great data strategy tick? Tune in, you might just find a new way to think about your tech stack and your team.

Send us a text Welcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Datatopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society.

Dive into conversations that should flow as smoothly as your morning coffee (but don't), where industry insights meet laid-back banter. Whether you're a data aficionado or just someone curious about the digital age, pull up a chair, relax, and let's get into the heart of data, unplugged style!

In this episode, we're joined by special guest Vitale Sparacello, an MLflow Ambassador, to delve into a myriad of topics shaping the current and future landscape of AI and software development: MLflow Deep Dive: Exploring the MLflow Ambassador program, MLflow's role in promoting MLOps practices, and its expansion to support generative AI technologies.Introducing Llama 3: Discussing Meta's newest language model, Llama 3, its capabilities, and the nuanced policy of its distribution, featured on platforms like Groq. Read more here.Emerging AI Tools: Evaluating Open-Parse for advanced text parsing and debating the longevity of PDF documents in the age of advanced AI technologies.OpenTofu vs. Terraform Drama: Analyzing the ongoing legal dispute between Terraform and OpenTofu, with discussions around code ethics and links to OpenTofu's LinkedIn, and their official blog response.The Future of AI Devices: Are smartphones the endgame, or is there a future for specialized AI wearables? Speculating on the evolution of AI devices, focusing on the Human AI Pin review, Rabbit R1 and Dot Computer Go check out the Youtube video after so you don't miss out Murilo in that suit he promised (with a duck tie of course).

Send us a text Welcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Datatopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society. Dive into conversations that should flow as smoothly as your morning coffee (but don't), where industry insights meet laid-back banter. Whether you're a data aficionado or just someone curious about the digital age, pull up a chair, relax, and let's dive into episode #36 titled "Altman's Chips, Mojo Gets Fast and TUIs", featuring Nemanja Radojkovic, an MLOps Lead and Educator, as our special guest. In this episode, we explore a variety of cutting-edge topics: Text-based User Interfaces (TUIs) Rediscovered: Delving into the resurgence of TUIs with Ratatui and gping. Are we witnessing a TUI renaissance? Ratatui | gpingThe Surprising Length of ChatGPT's System Prompt: Unpacking the implications of a 1700 token system prompt. Is there more than meets the eye? Reddit discussionMojo Outpaces Rust in DNA Sequence Parsing: A closer look at how Mojo outperforms Rust by 50% in benchmarks. Is Mojo the new king? Modular's blog postSam Altman's Vision for the Future of Chips and AI: Examining Altman's ambitious plan to reshape the business of chips and AI with trillions of dollars. WSJ article | Reuters on Microsoft's AI chipsThe Real Challenge in Generating Code: Discussing the misconception that generating code is the hard part, with insights into the complexities of software engineering beyond code generation. Nick Scialli's blog Follow Nemanja on LinkedIn and check out his courses.  Intro music courtesy of fesliyanstudios.com

Send us a text Welcome to the cozy corner of the tech world where ones and zeros mingle with casual chit-chat. Datatopics Unplugged is your go-to spot for relaxed discussions around tech, news, data, and society.

Dive into conversations that should flow as smoothly as your morning coffee (but don't), where industry insights meet laid-back banter. Whether you're a data aficionado or just someone curious about the digital age, pull up a chair, relax, and let's get into the heart of data, unplugged style!

In today's episode Murilo & Bart discuss:

AI and Software Insights Introducing Gemini: Google's latest AI modelGoogle BlogFireship Dev TweetTechCrunch Article on Gemini DemoCommunication and Collaboration in Tech 6 tiny wording tweaks to level up your communication as a software engineerCareer CutlerMLOps and Model Development Navigating the chaos: why you don’t need another MLOps toolOpenLayer BlogChatGPT's performance on Julia vs. Python and R for LLM Code GenerationStochastic LifestyleEmerging Tech and Fun Finds JSONB in SQLiteSQLite ForumWizard Zines for a touch of geekinessWizard ZinesSports Illustrated's AI author sagaThe Verge ArticleMonaspace: A superfamily of fonts for codeMonaspaceHot Takes Paper: You Want My Password or a Dead Patient?Cohost ArticleIntro music courtesy of fesliyanstudios.com Check out the episode on YouTube.