When Data Stops Being Code and Starts Being Conversation (Ep. 297)

Mark Brocato built Mockaroo—the tool that taught millions of developers how to fake data. Now, as Head of Engineering at Tonic.ai, he's building the AI agent that's making his own creation obsolete. In this episode, we explore why static test data can't survive the AI era, what it means to "negotiate" datasets with an agent instead of scripting them, and whether we're heading toward a future where sandbox environments vanish entirely. From the hidden failures of legacy mocks to the security implications of agent-driven synthesis, Mark reveals what happens when data generation becomes a conversation—not a pipeline. Sponsors Tonic.ai Synthetic data solutions for software and AI development. Accelerate engineering velocity and ensure compliance with AI-powered data synthesis This episode is brought to you by Statistical Horizons At Statistical Horizons, you can stay ahead with expert-led livestream seminars that make data analytics and AI methods practical and accessible. Join thousands of researchers and professionals who’ve advanced their careers with Statistical Horizons. Get $200 off any seminar with code DATA25 at

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When Data Stops Being Code and Starts Being Conversation (Ep. 297) is an episode from Data Science at Home by Francesco Gadaleta.

This episode is 33:37 long.

This episode was published on Dec 22, 2025.

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