Tableau is releasing a new artificial intelligence tool that aims to make its advanced data analysis and visualization features more accessible to a broader set of users.
Einstein Copilot in Tableau will start to roll out as free beta Tuesday morning, letting Tableau users ask questions about their data in natural language and get answers in the form of data visualizations and text.
Salesforce, which acquired Seattle-based Tableau for $15.7 billion in 2019, is rolling out Einstein Copilot and other AI features across its platforms, including its core customer-relationship management products.
The tool is designed to help non-expert users accomplish more inside Tableau, but it’s also meant to make advanced users more efficient in their work, said Ryan Aytay, the Tableau CEO, in an interview this week. He connected it back to Tableau’s original vision of helping users “see and understand data.”
“I think this allows you to do that at a faster pace, and do it in a safe and trusted way,” Aytay said, citing the inclusion of Salesforce’s Einstein Trust Layer for data privacy and security.
These types of built-in AI capabilities are quickly becoming table stakes for software vendors across different segments. For example, Microsoft is also bringing its Copilot AI technology to its Power BI data visualization platform, which competes with Tableau.
Einstein Copilot in Tableau lets users ask questions about their data within cloud-based versions of Tableau, automating the process of data visualization and analysis. It can also recommend follow-up questions that might help a user glean additional information based on their initial prompts.
Graphics and insights generated by the tool are dynamically updated inside Tableau as the conversation proceeds.
Tableau customers will be able to sign up for the beta on the Tableau website. Einstein Copilot in Tableau is expected to be generally available in June. Pricing and other details haven’t yet been announced for the broader release.
Although the AI tool will be available in the cloud version of Tableau, Aytay said the company is still heavily investing in its on-premises and server products, in general, for users of those versions.
Aytay, a longtime Salesforce executive, was named Tableau CEO last year, succeeding Mark Nelson, who stepped down from the role at the end of 2022.
One big focus for Aytay has been improving Tableau’s customer support, which Gartner cited as a concern among Tableau customers in its April 2023 “Magic Quadrant” report on analytics and business intelligence vendors. Aytay said previously that he believes the situation has improved to the point that it likely won’t be cited by Gartner this year.
Aytay is expected to go into further detail about Tableau’s vision and product roadmap at the upcoming Tableau Conference, April 29 through May 1 in San Diego.
