Why we're building an open semantic layer at Lightdash

The business intelligence (BI) sector faces challenges due to the proprietary nature of BI tools, which often lock business logic within their platforms, leading to inconsistent metric definitions and inefficiencies. This results in "metrics drift," where different tools provide different answers to the same question, eroding trust in data. To address this, Lightdash has introduced an open-source semantic layer designed to standardize business metrics across various tools, enhancing flexibility and consistency. This semantic layer, integrated with dbt projects and version-controlled as code, allows metrics to be defined once and used consistently across platforms like Excel, Tableau, and AI systems. By adopting an open standard, Lightdash aims to reduce reliance on specific vendors, enabling seamless tool integration and fostering collaboration between AI and BI. The Lightdash semantic layer supports various interfaces, including a UI, REST API, and Python client, promoting accessibility and control over business definitions while encouraging community-driven development.