Dave is the founder of AtScale and is the Chief Technology Officer. Prior to AtScale, he was VP of Engineering at Klout & at Yahoo! where he built the world’s largest multi-dimensional cube for BI on Hadoop. Mariani is a Big Data visionary & serial entrepreneur.
December 15, 2025
Universal Semantic Layer and AI Agents: What Enterprises Need to KnowHow can enterprises prepare for a world where AI agents, not just humans, are analyzing data and making recommendations? Every data and analytics leader is grappling with this question, and the answer lies in a universal semantic layer. In my…
December 10, 2025
AI Without Semantics Is a Costly Risk: Key Takeaways from EDM Association WebinarHow do you move from experimental AI pilots to production systems you can trust? That was the central question Kyle Morton and I discussed on last month’s EDM Association webinar. The data management community is keenly aware of what’s at…
December 2, 2025
The State of the Semantic Layer: 2025 in ReviewI've been building data systems long enough to recognize when an architectural shift is real versus when it's just market noise. 2025 was the year semantics moved from "nice-to-have" to "foundational infrastructure." This wasn't driven by vendor messaging or analyst…
November 10, 2025
How AI is Transforming Semantic Modeling (and Why It Matters for the Next Generation of Analytics)Semantic modeling has always been one of the most complex parts of analytics and arguably the most important. It’s the layer where your business defines itself: revenue, margin, customer lifetime value, churn, all of these live in your semantic model.…
November 3, 2025
The Golden Age of the Semantic Layer: Why AI Can’t Work Without ContextFor years, the semantic layer quietly sat behind the scenes of enterprise data systems, translating complex data models into the business logic that made them meaningful. It was a critical component for BI teams but was rarely viewed as a…
October 21, 2025
7 Modern Data Architecture PrinciplesModern data architecture serves as the blueprint for scalable, AI-ready, governed analytics that empower organizations to effectively harness their data assets. For executives, data leaders, engineers, and governance teams, understanding these foundational principles is critical for building systems that deliver…
October 16, 2025
Scaling AI Without Breaking the Bank: Why Semantic Layers Drive Performance and Cost EfficiencyI’ve been building data systems long enough to see the same problem repeat itself. Each wave of analytics promises speed and simplicity. Self-service BI promised freedom from IT. Cloud warehouses promised infinite scale. Now GenAI promises conversational, real-time access to…
October 2, 2025
Composable Models: Why Composability is the Future of the Semantic LayerThe 2025 GigaOm Semantic Layer Radar Report recognized AtScale as the Leader and Fast Mover for our innovations in composable modeling, open semantics, and AI readiness. Composable models treat every metric and dimension as modular, reusable components. This architecture eliminates…
September 29, 2025
Building Trust in Conversational BI: How Semantic Layers Enable Reliable Natural Language QueryThe promise of GenAI-powered analytics is compelling: business users ask questions in natural language and receive accurate insights instantly. However, a critical trust issue is emerging as organizations rush to implement "ask-your-data" experiences—how do you ensure these conversational BI systems…
September 25, 2025
AtScale Named Leader and Fast Mover in the 2025 GigaOm Radar for Semantic LayersI’m excited to share that AtScale has once again been recognized as both a Leader and Fast Mover in the 2025 GigaOm Radar Report for Semantic Layers and Metric Stores. This marks the third consecutive year AtScale has been placed…
September 19, 2025
Where Should the Semantic Layer Live? Why the Answer is Open, Governed & UniversalRecently, Omni sparked a debate with a simple question on LinkedIn: “Where should the semantic layer live?” In the BI platform? In the data warehouse? In dbt? The LinkedIn thread that followed was filled with perspectives from data leaders, engineers,…
September 10, 2025
From Queries to Agents: The Evolution of Conversational BI in the GenAI EraI’ve been building in the business intelligence (BI) space for over two decades. I’ve seen the rise of self-service BI, the transition to cloud-native analytics, and the promise of augmented insights. Each wave brought new tools, new opportunities, and plenty…