For all the flash and charisma of generative AI, the biggest transformations of this new era may be buried deep in the software stack. Hidden from view, AI algorithms are changing the world one database at a time. They’re upending systems built to track the world’s data in endless regular tables, replacing them with newer AI capabilities that are complex, adaptive, and seemingly intuitive.
The updates are coming at every level of the data storage stack. Basic data structures are under review. Database makers are transforming how we store information to work better with AI models. The role of the database administrator, once staid and mechanistic, is evolving to be more expansive. Out with the bookish clerks and in with the mind-reading wizards.
