AI as a Catalyst in Information Modeling: Between Automation and Company-Specific Reality | DAMA SA 2026

Webinar: DAMA Southern Africa Data Management Meetup

Date: Monday, September 7, 2026 - Time: 4:00 – 5:00 PM (CEST/SAST)
Location: Online

Talk: AI as a Catalyst in Information Modeling: Between Automation and Company-Specific Reality
Speaker: Dirk Lerner

About the talk: Data modeling forms the foundation of successful AI implementations: it ensures that data is high-quality, well-structured, and suitable for training AI models. Without solid data models, AI systems are more prone to errors, less efficient, and harder to scale. But to what extent can AI itself help create these models?

Where AI helps: By recording and transcribing conversations during requirements analysis, key business objects can be identified more quickly with the help of AI. In combination with predefined templates, definitions can be efficiently pre-filled and subsequently validated by subject matter experts.

Where human expertise remains essential: Definitions of key business objects such as "customer" or "product" are highly company-specific and cannot be represented by generic models. Direct, automated creation of information models by AI is therefore not realistic at this time – subject matter experts validate the definitions and ensure that the models reflect the organization's reality.

Finally, the talk places current trends in the context of practical information modeling – including the increasing use of no-code automation, the shift from big data to small and wide data, and the role of agentic AI.

Your takeaways from the talk:

1. AI does not replace the data modeler – it makes them faster and more effective.
2. Company-specific definitions remain the domain of humans – this is where automated model generation reaches its limits.
3. The hybrid approach is winning out – AI-assisted identification plus human validation makes for the optimal workflow.

About the speaker: Dirk is an experienced independent consultant and managing director of TEDAMOH – the Data Modeling Hub. He is recognized worldwide as an expert in BI and data architectures as well as data modeling and is particularly valued for his work on temporal data – including groundbreaking examples on his blog and in his training courses that highlight the many aspects of time management in data and their solutions.

With a 25-year career focused on data modeling, temporal data, and automation, Dirk has consistently applied these disciplines to create flexible, lean, and extensible architectures.

As a pioneer of Data Vault and FCO-IM in Germany, Dirk has authored various publications and is a highly regarded international speaker at conferences. Together with Roelant Vos, he is co-author of the internationally published book "Data Engine Thinking".

About the conference: DAMA Southern Africa is a not-for-profit, vendor-independent association of technical and business professionals and a local chapter of the international DAMA organization. It is dedicated to advancing the concepts and practices of information and data management and nurtures a community of data professionals in Southern Africa:

• Audience - Data management professionals in Southern Africa, from practitioners and CDMP candidates to those responsible for data modeling and data governance
• Format - Online webinar; DAMA Southern Africa runs at least four events a year and holds monthly chapter meetings featuring educational presentations
• Topics - Information and data management, data modeling, data governance, and CDMP certification
• Character - Not-for-profit, vendor-independent, founded in 2006, and part of the international DAMA community as a local chapter
• Program - September 7, 2026, online