Smarter models & methods, Alteryx launches AiDIN

Software systems are surging.

The application of generative AI functionalities and capabilities continues apace. The key rationale for the proliferation of this rollout is this technology’s generally undisputed ability to bring user-empowerment, process efficiency and data-driven advantages to every enterprise technology use case in every industry vertical.

This is not the engineering mission statement put forward by ‘analytics for all’ company Alteryx, but given the company’s analytics automation and democratisation technology proposition that it has tabled long before the generative AI age, it could be.

Alteryx AiDIN (pronounced AID-IN, sounds like ‘maiden’) is an Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and generative AI (genAI) engine that operates across the Alteryx Analytics Cloud Platform to accelerate analytics efficiency and productivity.

Yes, very nice, but how?

Models & methods

Alteryx explains the process happening here as the development of the most ‘advanced AI models and methods’ which its has now engineered into the fabric of its platform in order to provide the competitive advantage of AI and ML to a democratised base of users i.e. not just technical staff, but laypeople businesspersons too through its easy-to-use interfaces and functions.

Those models are crucial – they are the generative AI and large language models to supercharge the democratization of analytics and dissemination of insights.

The methods are crucial – they are the processes that drive Alteryx Analytics outputs and under the purview of what the company calls ‘best-in-class governance and observability’ that Alteryx says it insists upon.

AiDIN power

Among the functions found in AiDIN, a selection of key highlights are offered below:

  • Magic Document is a new Alteryx Auto Insights feature that uses an enterprise-grade generative AI integration for data analysis, reporting and sharing. This feature delivers smart, in-context data visualisation summaries, as well as PowerPoint, email and message generation capabilities for tailored audiences.
  • Workflow Summary for Alteryx Designer enables users to document their processes by automatically generating workflow summaries and metadata in natural language. This is said to enable easier governance and auditability of all workflow data processes and data pipelines.
  • OpenAI connector will allow users to roll generative AI into their own Alteryx Designer workflows, its drag-and-drop tool generates natural language outputs from users’ data and analytics and enables users choose how they present and share data.

Before AiDIN, we know that the company has previously developed existing work in this space including Alteryx Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology that enables user to access data to power model outputs and reporting.

“With generative AI, users unlock an entirely new way of using insights to transform their business and solve their biggest challenges,” said Suresh Vittal, chief product officer at Alteryx. “With these game-changing AiDIN capabilities, Alteryx customers can intuitively infuse data-driven insights into every decision across every function, while maintaining governance over their analytics processes.”

Alongside innovation, Alteryx says that trust in data security and governance of analytics processes is key to maximising the benefits of democratisation efforts. For Vittal and team, this is all about using AiDIN and its associated technologies to build what it calls carefully orchestrated applications.

The Computer Weekly Developer Network team watched Alteryx showcasing its new product developments and its new research reports at its annual user conference, Inspire 2023, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, this May.