The transformative power of artificial intelligence and the critical role played by open source in driving innovation headlined this week’s MongoDB.Local NYC event.

At the conclusion of the event, theCUBE’s analyst panel provided insights into the challenges faced by organizations, the evolving developer ecosystem and the pivotal need for strategic decision-making in this rapidly evolving landscape.

“Data’s all the rage right now,” said Maribel Lopez (pictured, left), founder and principal analyst of Lopez Research. “AI has really got everybody enthused about the opportunity with data. It’s a really complicated environment, but it’s nice to see companies like Mongo try to step it up and add things like Stream Processing and Vector.”

Lopez and Steve O’Grady (right), co-founder and principal analyst at RedMonk, spoke with theCUBE industry analyst John Furrier at the MongoDB.local NYC event, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the current trends in the developer ecosystem and the impact of AI. (* Disclosure below.)

The intersection of AI and open source

There is a need for robust performance systems and the integration of cloud and on-prem data sources in handling large volumes of data required for AI applications, according to Lopez. She commended companies such as MongoDB for stepping up their game by adding tools that aid developers in moving toward real-time actioning.

Also up for discussion were open source as a major driving force in the AI space, the multitude of open-source projects and competitive landscape in the market, and the challenge of choosing the right community to align with. AI has been through multiple cycles, but the current wave feels different due to the tangible and impactful use cases being built, according to the analysts.

“AI’s happening. There’s just no doubt about that,” Lopez said. “The only question for organizations is how do you make it happen fast and secure and how do you pivot if you got it wrong?”

The conversation also delved into the challenges posed by misusing and misapplying the open-source label in the AI space. Confusion can be caused by models labeled as open source but licensed under noncommercial terms, O’Grady pointed out, stressing the importance of clarifying licensing terms to avoid misinterpretation and the need for regulatory compliance and secure and compliant AI solutions leveraging open source.

“[Companies] feel that they have the same rights that they’ve always enjoyed with open-source software,” he said. “Yet, at some point, somebody’s going to look at the license underlying and say, ‘Uh-oh. I can’t build a business like this.’”

The analysts turned their attention to MongoDB’s economic prospects, noting the company’s goal to reach $10 billion in revenue. Currently an open-source company, MongoDB’s success with its managed services platform, Atlas, is notable, with the analysts describing this as a crucial stage in the company’s journey as it navigates across the enterprise IT chasm.

The analysts then touched on the integration of services, multicloud environments and the challenges faced by organizations in adopting AI solutions. They highlighted the importance of delivering applications and running them efficiently, drawing parallels to the early days of cloud computing. However, they also acknowledged the complexity and confusion surrounding AI, emphasizing the need for organizations to determine the right approach and partnerships to ensure long-term success.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the MongoDB.local NYC event:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the MongoDB.local NYC event. Neither MongoDB, the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE