From BI to AI: How BI Teams Evolve into Data Services Teams

The way users interact with data is changing. As natural language becomes a common interface, the expectations placed on BI teams are shifting with it. Users are no longer just asking for dashboards. They are asking questions, in context, and expecting meaningful answers.

In this short, framing session, we will explore how this change in demand affects the way BI teams deliver. We will look at how natural language and conversational analytics challenge traditional ideas of reports, ownership, and consumption.

We will then step back and untangle the growing knot of tooling now available to BI teams. Rather than chasing every new capability, this session focuses on how to think about evaluation. What problems are actually being solved, what can wait, and how to avoid fragmenting your platform in the process.

We will touch on how concepts like MCP and agentic development begin to change delivery patterns, before closing with a forward looking hypothesis. Will BI teams evolve into data services teams, blending skills and choosing the right consumption experience for the right problem rather than separating BI and AI into rigid silos?

This session is not about predicting the future. It is about giving BI teams a clearer way to think about what is changing, and how to respond in line with the pace of your business.

- Understand how natural language analytics is changing what users expect from BI teams - Learn a practical way to evaluate emerging AI and agentic tools without chasing hype - Gain a clear mental model for how BI teams can adapt without fragmenting their platform