Shreya Shankar on AI Functions Entering SQL Mainstream

Shreya Shankar, a databases and HCI researcher building DocETL, stated that AI functions are going mainstream. She recalled that several AI colleagues had dismissed the project two years earlier, claiming better models would handle unstructured data processing on their own. Shankar observed that AI-powered operators are instead being added directly to SQL and expressed satisfaction at the shift. The post also notes her upcoming role as assistant professor at CMU CS in Fall 2027.