Between people and systems.
On my first day as a Forward Deployed AI Engineer, this is not a field report but a look at the work I expect to encounter.
Today is my first day as a Forward Deployed AI Engineer at NiCE Cognigy. This is therefore not a field report. I do not yet know what the role will feel like in everyday work. I do know why it appeals to me and what kind of work I expect to encounter.
A role in between
I expect a position between people, requirements and technical systems. One side is about listening: what problem actually needs to be solved? Where does friction exist today? How would the people who later use the system recognise an improvement?
The other side is turning those answers into robust integrations. To me, APIs, architecture, data flows, agent systems and operations belong alongside consulting. A good idea alone is not enough. It has to fit safely and clearly into an existing reality.
What I am looking forward to
This dual role fits the path that brought me here. I started in production processes, optimised workflows, led teams, studied data science and increasingly wrote software myself. The tools have changed. The task of making complex technology useful to people has remained.
I am looking forward to discovering new systems, perspectives and problems. Most of all, I look forward to those moments when an initially vague requirement becomes something that genuinely helps in everyday life.
I cannot yet say what the role will make of me. Today, I begin finding out.