The Register: Snowflake opens chat-driven access to enterprise and third-party data

Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/13/snowflake_intelligence/
Source: The Register
Title: Snowflake opens chat-driven access to enterprise and third-party data

Feedly Summary: Cortex-powered front end for easier access to insights across multiple sources
Snowflake is set to preview a new platform it claims will help organizations build chatbots that can serve up data from its own analytics systems and those external to the cloud data platform vendor.…

AI Summary and Description: Yes

Summary: Snowflake is unveiling a platform called Snowflake Intelligence, which simplifies the development of chatbots that interface with data across its analytics systems and external sources. This platform leverages existing ML and governance technologies, providing an API for creating conversational experiences with structured and unstructured data.

Detailed Description: Snowflake’s upcoming platform, Snowflake Intelligence, represents a significant step forward for developers looking to harness the power of conversational AI in data analytics. Here are the major points to consider:

– **Integration of Structured and Unstructured Data**: The platform aims to simplify interactions with both structured (e.g., databases) and unstructured (e.g., documents) data, thus allowing developers to create comprehensive experiences without having to manage separate processes for different data types.

– **Cortex Managed AI Service**: Snowflake Intelligence utilizes the Cortex service, which includes:
– **Cortex Search**: Designed for querying unstructured data.
– **Cortex Analyst**: Currently in public preview, it facilitates the querying of structured data.

– **New Chat API**: The introduction of the chat API is a key innovation, enabling:
– Seamless development of applications that allow users to interact with data through chat interfaces.
– Integration with third-party tools such as Microsoft SharePoint, Salesforce, and Google Workspace, all governed by a single layer of Snowflake’s governance.

– **Access to External LLMs**: The platform also features access to external large language models (LLMs), providing a diverse range of models and functionalities to enhance conversational experiences:
– Supports models from various providers including Voyage, Meta, and AI21.
– Enables REST API approaches for flexibility in application development.

– **Unified Developer Experience**: Christian Kleinerman, EVP of Product, emphasizes that the goal is to provide a unified experience for developers, bridging gaps that previously existed in interacting with different types of data.

– **Use Cases**: This approach is particularly beneficial for organizations looking to enhance decision-making through data-driven interactions. The API can facilitate the creation of agents that interact conversationally with data, potentially transforming how businesses leverage analytics in real-time AI scenarios.

In summary, Snowflake Intelligence is positioned as an innovative tool designed to empower developers to create advanced data-driven applications via conversational AI, addressing both operational flexibility and governance in analytics. This has substantial implications for those working in data management, AI development, and enterprise software deployment in a cloud-based environment.