**London**: Dan Sommer, Market Intelligence Lead at Qlik, discusses the company’s approach to generative AI, emphasizing the importance of data authenticity, the introduction of an AI Trust Score, and the role of autonomous agents in enhancing business value and governance.
In a recent discussion with Edge9, Dan Sommer, Market Intelligence Lead at Qlik, outlined the company’s strategic response to the evolving landscape of generative artificial intelligence (AI). He emphasised three fundamental pillars that will shape the future of AI: authenticity, applied value, and the role of autonomous agents.
Sommer specifically pointed to the increasing importance of authentic data in an era where the generation of synthetic data is on the rise. “We have exhausted the public text on which to train generative models. Now we are facing an increasing use of synthetic data, which generates other synthetic data, in a potentially risky spiral,” he noted. He posited that true value in business will come from trustworthy and controlled datasets. In this context, Sommer suggested that data is increasingly viewed as a form of capital, akin to human or financial resources.
To facilitate this shift, Qlik proposes the implementation of an AI Trust Score, a multi-faceted metric designed to evaluate the reliability of data. This score considers several critical aspects, including timeliness, accuracy, diversity, bias, security, and accessibility, ultimately aiding companies in determining the suitability of datasets for their internal generative models. Moreover, Sommer highlighted Qlik’s acquisition of Upsolver, which focuses on the Iceberg format for lakehouses. This acquisition is aimed at enhancing data interoperability, ensuring that businesses can easily share and normalise data across various hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
As generative AI transitions from novelty to necessity, Sommer acknowledged that many organisations struggle to progress beyond initial prototypes. He stated, “Many companies, even large ones, have yet to push the accelerator on AI due to governance issues and lack of application clarity.” Despite the mixed opinions about the new European regulatory framework and the AI Act, he indicated that it could help in building trust within the industry.
Qlik’s response to these challenges is to provide a comprehensive platform that seamlessly connects both legacy and modern data, bolstering data quality and governance while simultaneously offering analytical tools. The Qlik Answers solution was highlighted as a critical resource, enabling safe and efficient queries of extensive unstructured business data without reliance on external tools.
The conversation also veered into the domain of autonomous agents, which are designed to operate independently on behalf of users. Sommer cautioned that the excitement surrounding this development must be tempered with realism. “You can’t start with agents without first resolving authenticity and applied value. It’s like building a highway without having the foundations,” he remarked. He noted that the successful adoption of such agents necessitates well-defined processes, real-time data updates, and flexible architectures.
Qlik envisions its autonomous agents as tools intended to empower users rather than replace them. “We want to build tools that allow people to become ’10x,’ not to be replaced,” Sommer stated. The conversational interface being developed by Qlik exemplifies this approach, as it directs queries to appropriate resources, integrating both structured and unstructured data into cohesive responses.
Looking ahead, Sommer depicted a future that requires a sophisticated monitoring system, likening it to an airport control tower. This “control plane” would oversee real-time data, processes, and AI agents within an organisation. He acknowledged the rapid pace of evolution in AI as being akin to “solar years and AI years,” yet he reiterated that some unchanging fundamentals persist: a clear understanding of one’s data and objectives, and a commitment to human-centric development.
In summary, Qlik is positioning itself to lead in this new age of generative AI by focusing on the authenticity of data, the value derived from its application, and the responsible integration of autonomous software agents. This strategic framework aims to equip companies with the necessary tools and insights to navigate the complex landscape of AI technology moving forward.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Subscribe to Industry Updates
