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How to Set Up ThoughtSpot Spotter
ThoughtSpot Spotter is an AI analyst embedded in the ThoughtSpot platform that answers business questions in natural language, returning charts and data summaries without requiring SQL or BI expertise. To get started, sign up for a free trial, upload a CSV or connect a cloud data warehouse, select the relevant tables, and type questions directly into the Spotter chat interface. Results appear as interactive charts that can be pinned to a Liveboard for ongoing monitoring.
How to Set Up Tableau Pulse
Tableau Pulse is a feature in Tableau Cloud that delivers automated, AI-generated metric digests to analysts and business users via email and Slack. Setting it up requires a site administrator to enable the feature, at least one published data source, and users with Explorer or Creator roles to create metric definitions. Once configured, followers receive scheduled updates with trend summaries, anomaly alerts, and natural-language explanations without opening a dashboard.
How to Use Copilot in Excel for Data Analysis
Microsoft Copilot in Excel is an AI assistant that answers questions about your spreadsheet data in plain English and returns charts, summaries, and PivotTables without formulas. It requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, data formatted as an Excel Table, and a file saved to OneDrive. Prompts go into a side panel and results appear directly in the sheet.
How to Set Up Snowflake Cortex Analyst
Snowflake Cortex Analyst is a managed LLM service that converts plain-English questions into SQL and runs them against your Snowflake tables, returning results without requiring users to write queries. Setting it up requires granting the correct Snowflake roles, creating a semantic model YAML file that maps your business terminology to your table schema, and connecting the REST API to a front end. The quality of responses depends almost entirely on how well the semantic model is written.
How to Set Up Metabase as a Free Power BI Alternative
Metabase is an open-source business intelligence tool that connects directly to databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and BigQuery and lets non-technical users build charts and dashboards without writing SQL. The open-source version is free and runs on a single Docker command or a downloadable JAR file. Teams switching from Power BI report significant time savings by eliminating DAX formulas and per-seat license fees.
How to Set Up Databricks Genie
Databricks Genie is a natural language analytics interface built into the Databricks platform that lets business users query data by asking questions in plain English instead of writing SQL. Setting it up requires registering tables in Unity Catalog, configuring a Genie space with curated metadata and sample queries, and connecting a SQL warehouse. This guide walks through each step, including how to build the knowledge store that determines whether Genie gives accurate or misleading results.
How to Use BigQuery Data Canvas
BigQuery Data Canvas is a visual, node-based workspace inside Google Cloud Console that lets analysts query and chart BigQuery data without writing SQL from scratch. Users chain search, query, and visualization nodes on a drag-and-drop canvas, with Gemini AI generating SQL from natural language prompts. Two IAM roles and an enabled Gemini API are all that is required to get started. This guide covers setup, building an analysis, and the practical limits of the canvas environment.
How to Use Gemini in Looker Studio
Gemini AI is integrated into Looker Studio Pro and delivers three features: conversational analytics for querying data in plain English, a formula assistant for calculated fields, and Slides integration for converting dashboards into presentations with AI-generated summaries. All three features require a Looker Studio Pro subscription and correct IAM permissions configured in your Google Cloud organization. Once enabled, you can ask questions directly in your dashboard and receive charts or tables without writing SQL or formulas.
How to Set Up Oracle Analytics Cloud AI Agents
Oracle Analytics Cloud AI Agents, introduced in the March 2026 platform update, let teams configure a purpose-built AI assistant tied to a specific dataset and paired with uploaded policy or reference documents. The agent uses retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to ground answers in both quantitative data and internal documentation. Setup requires the January 2026 instance update or later, appropriate permissions, and clean upstream data with key fields at least 95 percent complete.