Qlik now has a growing number of data management and analytics vendors that combine generative AI with a set of capabilities.
OpenAI is the developer of ChatGPT. ChatGPT, with its November 2022 release, represents a major breakthrough in generative AI and large language model technology.
Since then, more than a dozen data management and analytics vendors have partnered with OpenAI and other generative AI developers to bring generative AI across their platforms.
Among them, Qlik competitors Tableau and Microsoft Power BI each have analytics capabilities that incorporate generative AI on their roadmaps, while fellow data management vendors Informatica and Alteryx are also developing tools that incorporate generative AI. are planning
Now Qlik joins the fray with the Qlik OpenAI Analytics Connector and the Qlik OpenAI Connector for Application Automation. And according to the vendor, connectors are just the beginning of generative AI plans.
Qlik and generative AI
Applying generative AI to analytics has great potential to enable more than just trained experts in your organization to manipulate data.
The percentage of BI users in organizations has been around for decades, partly due to the complexity of analytics platforms (which remain complex despite efforts to add enhanced intelligence capabilities such as no-code tools and natural language processing). hovering around 25%.
However, generative AI could change this, given the breadth of LLM’s vocabulary.
NLP capabilities developed by analytics vendors are limited and require a certain amount of data literacy to use. LLM enables free-form, natural language and makes BI tools accessible to almost anyone.
Additionally, generative AI has the potential to improve the efficiency of data engineers and other professionals by eliminating the need to write large amounts of code and automating certain repeatable tasks.
To these ends, the Qlik OpenAI Analytics Connector enables customers to securely integrate OpenAI’s natural language processing power into their Qlik Sense applications, combine third-party data from OpenAI with their existing data models, and use natural language to It is designed to allow you to ask extended questions to ChatGPT. Proprietary data from Qlik.
On the other hand, the Qlik OpenAI Connector for Application Automation enables developers to use generative AI when writing expressions, commands and scripts for applications related to customer service sentiment analysis and text summarization, among other use cases. and LLM-generated content can be added to workflows.
Both are now generally available, unlike most of the generative AI capabilities Qlik’s competitors have announced to date and are expected to release later this year or early next year.
However, many of the generative AI tools in development by other data management and analytics vendors, such as ThoughtSpot’s Sage, are tools that the vendor has developed in-house and intends to deliver to their customers as an end product. Qlik has just announced a connector that will allow customers to combine her Qlik capabilities with generative AI.
Nevertheless, according to TreeHive Strategy founder and principal Donald Farmer, Qlik’s move is good for the vendor’s customers.
“I don’t think these connectors stand out from what other BI vendors are doing, but if you’re an avid Qlik user, these are great features to have,” he said. Told.
Farmer added that Qlik had NLP capabilities before releasing a connector that allowed customers to import OpenAI functionality. However, the connector improves what the customer can do with his NLP tools in his Qlik.
“Qlik has been generating natural language through partners for some time, and this connector allows us to integrate natural language at any point in the user workflow,” says Farmer. “It’s different, but it’s not groundbreaking.”
Beyond the functionality enabled by the connector, the connector has helped Qlik maintain a strong position against its competitors, according to TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group analyst Mike Leone.
He further noted that the connector shows that Qlik is beginning to deliver on its promise after demonstrating the potential of combining analytics and generative AI at its user conference in April.
“For the most part, the entire competitive landscape is making official announcements, consolidating features or taking final positions on the subject of generative AI,” said Leone. “Qlik showed a demo at the event and our customers wanted clearer timelines and plans for the future. This satisfies those questions.”
On the other hand, from a functional standpoint, Leone continued, the connector could enhance the AI capabilities Qlik already offers.
“Qlik’s existing AI capabilities, which fall into the augmented analytics space, will only be enhanced by generative AI capabilities,” he said. “Done properly, these capabilities combined will only enhance the way organizations collect, analyze, and visualize data.”
Qlik introduced two connectors about seven months after ChatGPT’s launch, but Qlik started working on integration with OpenAI earlier this year, according to Brendan Grady, general manager of Qlik’s analytics business unit. .
After seeing the widespread positive reaction to ChatGPT, the vendor developed plans to combine OpenAI’s technology with Qlik’s existing tools, including AI capabilities that Qlik first began offering about five years ago. At the same time, Grady noted that Qlik has heard requests from customers to develop ways for Qlik to incorporate generative AI.
and in the future
The Qlik OpenAI Analytics Connector and Qlik OpenAI Connector for Application Automation are just the beginning of Qlik’s efforts to incorporate generative AI, according to the vendor.
As a result, they are relatively straightforward, as are tools that were first generally available from other data management and analytics vendors, such as Monte Carlo’s and Dremio’s text-to-SQL conversion tools.
More complex tools that truly embed generative AI into BI or data management platforms are still under development.
Grady declined to mention specific features in development, but acknowledged that Qlik has a roadmap for adding more generative AI to the platform.
“We are in the early days of generative AI,” he said. “So we are excited to see what new use cases our customers can envision with us, as we see the OpenAI integration enabling great use cases soon.”
Meanwhile, Farmer pointed out that Qlik’s focus in recent years on developing a data integration platform in addition to its analytics suite provides vendors with rich opportunities to add generative AI capabilities.
“Now that Qlik owns the entire data stack, there is a lot we can do,” he said. “For example, I would love to see him apply AI in the areas of data quality, governance and resource management.”
Eric Avidon is a Senior News Writer for TechTarget Editorial and a journalist with over 25 years of experience. He is responsible for analytics and data management.
