Salesforce has introduced generative AI technology to Tableau, its data visualization platform, to allow people who typically don't use data to ask natural language questions and get insights. The new software, called Tableau GPT, will automatically create visualizations and suggest relevant queries. It aims to democratize data accessibility, which is currently being used by only 30% of people in organizations, according to Francois Ajenstat, the chief product officer of Tableau.
A new "experience" called Pulse will provide instant insights, including charts and graphs for non-data-native people. Pedro Arellano, an SVP and general manager at Tableau, says that the core innovation of this technology will be reducing the barrier to entry and will ultimately see and impact almost everything in a company. The new version of Tableau technology will be released in a pilot version in the fall of 2023.
This announcement follows Salesforce's recent introduction of Slack GPT, which integrates conversational AI into the work communication and coordination platform, and Microsoft's addition of ChatGPT to its customer relationship management tools in Microsoft Dynamics 365. The innovation in generative AI and large language models is happening rapidly, and Salesforce's development of company-wide and "owned" AI engines is potentially revolutionary.
There is a need for AI tools specific to a company and to learn and remember company-specific data, insights, trends, opportunities, and challenges. Salesforce is working on a prototype, but building such an AI is a massive undertaking, with challenges in determining which external data is accurate. Companies with better AIs will outperform those with weaker AIs in an AI-first economy.
