Oliver Ramsay

Analytics engineers are at a crossroads. Back in 2018, dbt paved the way for for this new kind of data professional, people who had technical ability and could understand business context. But here's the thing: AI is automating traditional tasks like pipeline building and dashboard creation. So then what happens to analytics engineers? They don't disappear - they evolve. The same skills that made analytics engineers valuable also make them perfect for a new role I'm calling 'Analytics Intelligence Engineers.' Instead of writing SQL, they're writing the context that makes AI actually useful for business users. In this talk, I'll show you what this evolution looks like day-to-day. We'll explore building semantic layers, crafting AI context, and measuring AI performance - all through real examples using Lightdash. You'll see how the work shifts from data plumbing to data intelligence, and walk away with practical tips for making AI tools more effective in your organization. Whether you're an analytics engineer wondering about your future or a leader planning your data strategy, this session will help you understand where the field is heading and how to get there.