Here we heard about Databricks’s plans for the future, were given a deeper insight into the most exciting new features of the platform, and were given a chance to share our experiences with other companies present.

The keynote from Databricks focused on their core vision for the future: “Democratising Data + AI”. This sentiment was well illustrated, highlighting how fragmented a business’s data estate typically is and how Databricks looks to provide a unifying solution. There was much discussion around the recent update which allows any compute needed for Databricks operations to be used in a serverless capacity. The “pay-as-you-use” model found within serverless architecture lends itself well to sustainable computing practices, as detailed in our Whitepaper on Sustainable Serverless Computing for Manufacturers. There was also a focus on using natural language processing (NLP) to query Databricks-hosted data through AI/BI Genie, further reducing the technical requirements required for querying, and further democratising data access.

The keynote speech also involved customer testimonies and demonstrations from the likes of Rolls-Royce, SEGA, ASDA and Meta. Common themes across these testimonies included an increase of innovation velocity, ease of data access across the business, and a more developed understanding of their customer base’s needs. Meta also provided an overview of Llama 3.1 and the benefits of open-source AI platforms, specifically for tuning models to a specific use context. Such tuning can lead to more efficient querying, which will lead to a reduction in power and compute usage, areas which are of great import when considering green software practices within the field of machine learning model training.

Alongside the keynote was an afternoon filled with training sessions and informative talks. Training included sessions such as “Get Started with Data Engineering with Databricks” and “Get Started with Generative AI with Databricks”, while notable talks included “Transforming Retails with Data and AI”, “Speeding Access to Data with the Data Transformation Copilot” and “Harnessing Data-Drive Insights in Quantamental Investing”. This breadth of data-based topics truly demonstrates the flexibility and strength of the Databricks platform across myriad markets and disciplines.

We left the event confident in our choice of Databricks as a platform we can depend on for data handling. Through the diversity of use cases, clear vision of the company’s own direction, and awareness of sustainable software practices, Nightingale HQ can clearly see how we can further work with Databricks to provide data-driven, AI-powered solutions to our customers.