AI-assisted coding is rapidly changing how software is written, but what does that mean for data engineers building modern data platforms?

In this session, we explore how AI agents can accelerate development while maintaining architectural control and code quality. Using a minimal data platform setup as a foundation, we demonstrate how AI can move beyond simple autocomplete and become a structured development assistant.

In this session, you will learn:
• What AI-assisted coding really means in a data engineering context
• The tools and setup required to get started
• How to improve AI agents using structured prompts, skills, and context engineering
• The role of MCP and plugins in enabling tool-aware AI workflows
• Common pitfalls, limitations, and how to avoid over-reliance on AI

The session concludes with a live demo where we enhance a minimal dbt project using an AI agent to add tests, refactor models, and extend functionality in real time.

Attendees will gain practical insight into how AI can increase productivity in data platform development — while understanding where human expertise remains essential.