Ashwin Ravi developed a backend-selectable model interaction feature for the snowflakedb/snowflake-cli repository, focusing on enhancing the Cortex CLI’s flexibility and reliability. He refactored the complete command to leverage the new snowflake.core APIs, enabling users to switch between SQL and REST interfaces through a new --backend option. Using Python and Snowflake, Ashwin streamlined default model and backend settings to simplify onboarding and minimize misconfiguration risks. He also improved REST API error handling, providing clearer diagnostics and a more robust user experience. The work demonstrated depth in API integration and CLI development, addressing both usability and maintainability for developer workflows.