I'm Sorry... Text To SQL And Chatting With Your Data Is Not The Answer

For over 25 years, efforts have been made toward data democratization, enabling individuals within organizations to derive insights and make decisions using company data. Recent advancements in AI have led to the development of natural language chatbots that translate user queries into SQL or Python, promising to simplify this process. However, these tools often fail to provide truly meaningful integration of AI into daily workflows, offering instead superficial solutions that require users to trust the system without understanding its processes. Concerns arise regarding the accuracy of these models, as a 90% accuracy rate on benchmarks does not translate to real-world reliability, especially when multiple queries are involved. The expectation that users can comprehend and validate generated code is unrealistic. While semantic models can improve accuracy by forcing users to ask questions using pre-defined metrics, this approach limits the open-ended potential of natural language interfaces. Instead, a more effective AI system would promote trust and understanding by providing transparency in its operations through human language. Sigma's "Ask Sigma" aims to address these shortcomings by offering an AI that not only enhances learning but also provides clear visibility into its processes, thereby advancing the goal of data democratization.