Mr. GAJENDRA BABU THOKALA

Title of the Talk :
Intelligence Breaks Before the Model: Why Real-Time Data Matters

Abstract of Talk:
Most intelligent systems don’t fail because of bad models. They fail because the data arrives late, lacks context, or can’t be trusted enough. Long before AI system response shows up in an application, its limits are already set by the data platform underneath.

This talk looks at intelligent systems from that starting point. Rather than putting all the attention on models, this talk looks at how real-time, event-driven platforms ultimately shape what AI can and cannot do. Talk discusses why batch pipelines fall short for modern use cases and how streaming, stateful architectures allow systems to react as events happen, not hours later. When time and state are treated as first-class concerns, real-time features and low-latency decisions become possible by design.

The talk also highlights the role of “Context” and how Metadata and knowledge graphs help systems understand where data comes from, how it changes, and how pieces fit together. That context makes systems not just faster, but easier to trust and explain.

If you’re building or operating intelligent systems, this session offers a practical view of what really matters before AI ever enters the picture.

Brief Biodata:
Gajendra Babu Thokala is a seasoned engineering leader with 18+ years of experience architecting and delivering large-scale data platforms, real-time streaming systems, and AI-driven data infrastructure. As a senior technical leader at a top global technology company, he sets architectural direction, leads cross-functional engineering teams, and delivers high-throughput, low-latency platforms powering mission-critical applications for hundreds of millions of users worldwide. Previously at Microsoft, Gajendra held senior leadership roles and was a key contributor to Microsoft Purview, a globally adopted enterprise data governance SaaS platform. He influenced platform architecture, scalability, and roadmap decisions, ensuring compliance with GDPR and CCPA across multi-cloud environments for Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies. An IEEE Senior Member, BCS Fellow, author, and international conference speaker, Gajendra bridges industry-scale engineering practice with applied research, with a strong focus on resilient, data-driven and intelligent systems.