Getting started with AI

Sigma offers unique AI-powered features to enhance your ability to summarize and analyze data and accelerate your data insights. This guide helps you get started with Sigma's AI capabilities.

AI features overview

Sigma provides several AI-powered features to help you work more efficiently with your data:

• Ask Sigma: A natural language query interface that lets you ask questions about your data in plain English.
• AI query: Run Sigma functions that call generative AI models from your cloud data warehouse.
• Formula assistant: Uses AI to write, correct, and explain formulas.
• Explain this chart: Generates instant AI-powered descriptions of your visualizations.

Prerequisites

Before you can use AI features, a user assigned the Admin account type must:

1. Configure an AI provider (warehouse AI models, OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, or Gemini models).
2. Enable the appropriate permissions for your account type.
3. Set up highlighted data sources for Ask Sigma.

For detailed setup instructions, see Configure AI features for your organization.

Getting started with Ask Sigma

Ask Sigma allows you to query your data using natural language. Simply type questions like "What were our top selling products last month?" and get instant insights.

Before getting started, ensure you've completed the Prerequisites above.

You can use Ask Sigma to:

• Ask questions about your data in natural language.
• Get instant AI-generated responses and visualizations.
• Explore data through interactive charts and tables.
• Refine and iterate on your questions for better insights.

For more information, see: Ask natural language queries with Ask Sigma

Perform queries with AI

Beyond Ask Sigma's natural language interface, you can also run AI queries directly from your cloud data warehouse. If your data warehouse includes SQL functions for generative AI models (like Snowflake Cortex, Databricks AI functions, or BigQuery ML), you can call these functions from Sigma to perform advanced AI operations on your data.

Before getting started, ensure you've completed the Prerequisites above.

Use AI queries to:

• Analyze sentiment in text data.
• Classify content or data points.
• Extract key information from unstructured text.
• Generate summaries or insights from large text fields.

For more information, see: Perform AI queries

Using the formula assistant

The formula assistant helps you create and understand formulas more efficiently.

Before getting started, ensure you've completed the Prerequisites above.

Use the formula assistant to:

• Write formulas: Describe what you want to calculate, and AI will suggest the appropriate formula.
• Fix errors: Get help correcting formula syntax and logic issues.
• Explain formulas: Understand what existing formulas do in plain language.

For more information, see: Use AI with formulas

Explaining charts with AI

Get instant insights about your visualizations with AI-powered chart explanations.

Before getting started, ensure you've completed the Prerequisites above.

Use the "Explain this chart" feature to:

• Generate instant AI-powered descriptions of your visualizations.
• Understand patterns and trends in your data.
• Get contextual insights about chart performance.
• Receive explanations in plain language.

For more information, see: Explain charts with AI

Best practices

• Review AI outputs: Always verify AI-generated results before making decisions.
• Provide context: The more specific your questions and requests, the more specific the AI response is.
• Iterate: Refine your questions and formulas based on initial AI suggestions.
• Combine with domain knowledge: Use AI as a tool to enhance, not replace, your analytical expertise.

Next steps

Explore these resources:

• Configure AI features for your organization
• Explore data collections with Ask Sigma discovery
• Notice for enabling AI-enabled features in Sigma