WTF Is the Context Layer? | Ep.01 — Defining the Context Layer with Prukalpa Sankar

WTF Is the Context Layer? | Episode 1 — Defining the Context Layer with Prukalpa Sankar Every vendor now claims to be "the context layer." But what does that actually mean — and why should you care? In this premiere episode of the WTF Is the Context Layer series, Austin Kronz (Field CDAO, Atlan | former Gartner Director) sits down with Prukalpa Sankar (Co-founder & Co-CEO, Atlan) — one of the people who coined the term — to cut through the noise and build a definition that holds up. 🔍 What we cover: 00:00 - Defining the Context Layer 05:29 - The AI Performance Equation 09:06 - Smart AI, No Context = Dangerous 12:14 - Where Enterprises Get Stuck 17:25 - How to Start Building Context 25:56 - Graph vs. Ontology vs. Semantic Layer? 37:49 - Why Skills Change Everything 41:41 - Context is IP 📌 Key takeaways: • A context layer is NOT just a rebranded knowledge graph or semantic layer — it's the connective tissue between systems of record, data, semantics, and engagement • Context should be federated, but the context platform should sit centrally in your AI architecture • If your AI agents have the data but still get things wrong, you have a context layer problem • Context engineering is the emerging discipline that makes agentic AI actually work in the enterprise 👤 About the speakers: Austin Kronz — Field CDAO at Atlan. Former Gartner Director who spent years advising Fortune 500 data leaders on analytics and AI strategy. The person large enterprises call when their AI keeps getting context wrong. Prukalpa Sankar — Co-founder & Co-CEO of Atlan. One of the people who coined the term "context layer" and helped define what it means in practice. 📅 This is Episode 1 of a multi-part series. Next week: Sanjeev Mohan brings the industry analyst perspective. Next episode: Sanjeev Mohan (ex-Gartner VP of Research) gives his unfiltered take on why context matters now — and what the industry is getting dangerously wrong. May 27, 12 PM ET. 🔗 Watch more episodes: https://atlan.com/wtf-context-layer/ 🔗 Register for upcoming sessions: https://atlan.com/wtf-context-layer/#... 🔗 Learn more about the context layer: https://atlan.com 📩 Subscribe for new episodes every two weeks. #ContextLayer #AgenticAI #DataGovernance #KnowledgeGraph #SemanticLayer #EnterpriseAI #ContextEngineering #DataCatalog #AIAgents #Metadata #DataManagement #Atlan #WTFIsTheContextLayer