Data Agent Meetup #1

Overview

AI agents are moving from demos to real-world systems.

As this shift happens, the key question is no longer only what models can do, but how agents can access, understand, and act on data.

This meetup marks the beginning of a new Open Data Circle series focused on Data Agents and the infrastructure behind them. We will explore how modern data systems may evolve to support agentic workflows — from architecture and cloud AI platforms to real-time and multimodal data infrastructure.

This new series extends ODC’s ongoing exploration of modern data systems toward the infrastructure needed by real-world AI agents.

Agenda

All sessions will be conducted in English; no live translation will be provided.

Session Materials

Speakers

Zhiyan Xiao

Organizer, Open Data Circle

Data Agents Need an Agent-facing Data Plane

As AI agents become more capable, the bottleneck increasingly shifts from model intelligence to the infrastructure that gives agents reliable access to data.
This opening session introduces the core theme of the meetup: what changes when data systems are no longer designed only for dashboards, pipelines, and human analysts, but also for agents that retrieve, reason, and act.
We will discuss why Data Agents need a dedicated data plane, and how ideas such as real-time context, multimodal data, metadata, governance, and action-oriented workflows may reshape the next generation of data infrastructure.

Yuichi Fujikawa

Solutions Architect, Alibaba Cloud Japan

Alibaba Cloud’s “AI + Cloud Strategy” and Initiatives

This session introduces Alibaba Cloud’s unique AI strategy and the latest updates on its open and diverse family of AI models, including Qwen and Wan. We will also present several practical use cases demonstrating how these technologies are applied in real-world scenarios.
After starting his career at a major telecommunications company, Mr. Fujikawa worked at a management consulting firm before becoming independent. He has extensive experience in launching new ventures and leading development projects related to web/mobile applications and AI. Following his tenure as CTO of a startup, he currently joins Alibaba Cloud, where he primarily focuses on AI-related initiatives.

Yuqing Guan

Organizer, Open Data Circle

Apache Fluss: A Real-Time Data Foundation for Intelligent Systems

As AI systems increasingly require real-time, multimodal, and vector-native data access, new infrastructure patterns are emerging beyond traditional batch-oriented data platforms.
This session explores how technologies such as Apache Fluss and Lance may contribute to future AI-native data systems, especially around fresh data, streaming storage, multimodal data, and agent-facing data infrastructure.

Who Should Attend

Organizers and Partners

Location