AtScale and Databricks first partnered in early 2022. At the time, Databricks SQL was still gaining traction, and many enterprises relied on various presentation layers for analytics. Our mission was clear: to enable organizations to modernize their analytics stack by adopting a Semantic Lakehouse—a governed, scalable approach to business intelligence directly on Databricks. After all, The Best Data Warehouse is a Semantic Lakehouse.
Fast-forward to today, and we’re taking the next step forward. By integrating AtScale’s Semantic Layer with Databricks Genie, we’re bringing AI and BI together like never before.
Welcome to Data Intelligence Week 2025
This week-long event is about unlocking Data Intelligence with AtScale + Databricks. We’ll showcase how Genie’s natural language query (NLQ) capabilities, combined with AtScale’s governed business definitions, enable trusted, self-service analytics without requiring SQL expertise.
We’ll also recap our partnership’s evolution, discuss why AtScale was nominated as the Emerging Partner of the Year in 2023, and explore why a semantic layer is critical across industries.
Join Us for Data Intelligence Week!
This week, we’ll host a series of deep dives, case studies, and expert discussions on how AtScale + Databricks are revolutionizing enterprise analytics. Here’s what’s in store:
Monday
- Data Intelligence Week Kick Off
- Announcing the Integration of AtScale + Databricks AI/BI Genie
Tuesday
Wednesday
- Podcast: Dael Williamson and David Mariani on Open Source Semantics
- Webinar: Setting the Standards for Semantics in AI and BI Webinar
Thursday
Friday
- Semantic Layer Summit – Featuring not one, not two, but three speakers from Databricks!
- AtScale + Genie Interactive Demo
- AtScale + Genie Video Demo
Let’s dive into the week!
Monday
We’re thrilled to announce the integration of AtScale’s Semantic Layer with Databricks Genie—bridging the gap between AI and BI to enable governed, scalable, and explainable Generative BI.
The AtScale + Genie Advantage
Databricks Genie allows business users to ask plain-language questions and receive answers in real-time. But without a semantic layer, NLQ tools often struggle with query accuracy, data governance, and metric consistency. That’s where AtScale comes in:
- AI-Powered Querying – Genie interprets user questions, while AtScale translates them into governed, high-performance SQL queries.
- Trust & Consistency – AtScale’s semantic layer ensures deterministic results across Power BI, Tableau, Excel, and Genie, preventing metric drift and misinterpretation.
- Optimized Performance – AtScale’s intelligent query engine accelerates Databricks SQL by pre-aggregating key calculations and optimizing query execution.
- Seamless Business Adoption—AtScale’s open-source Semantic Modeling Language (SML) allows organizations to govern data centrally and reuse business logic across BI tools and AI-driven interfaces like Genie.
Learn more about the AtScale + Genie integration – Announcing the Integration of AtScale and Databricks AI/BI Genie: Redefining Natural Language Query Accuracy
Tuesday
Since 2022, AtScale and Databricks have worked together to help organizations modernize their analytics stack, unify AI and BI, and ensure governed, scalable insights.
At the time, Databricks SQL was still evolving, and enterprises relied on various presentation layers for analytics. Our shared vision? Enable organizations to run enterprise-grade business intelligence directly on Databricks—without moving data.
This vision led to the development of the Semantic Lakehouse, a governed approach to BI and AI that combines the flexibility of a data lakehouse with the trust and accuracy of a semantic layer.
Curious how this partnership has evolved? Check out these deep dives:
- The Evolution of AtScale + Databricks: A Strategic Partnership – Learn how AtScale and Databricks pioneered the Semantic Lakehouse approach to drive enterprise AI and BI adoption.
- Why a Semantic Lakehouse is the Future of AI & BI – Explore why a Semantic Lakehouse unlocks the full potential of AI-driven analytics without sacrificing governance or performance.
- Democratizing Your Lakehouse to Excel Users with Databricks SQL – See how AtScale + Databricks SQL allows business users to access governed, high-performance analytics in Excel—without data movement.
Wednesday
At the end of 2024, Dave Mariani, CTO and Co-Founder of AtScale, sat down with Dael Williamson, EMEA CTO at Databricks, to discuss the critical role of open-source standards and semantic layers in modern analytics.
They discussed the importance of interoperability in data infrastructure, the impact of generative AI on democratizing analytics, and how the right semantic layer, aka AtScale, can bridge complex data to natural language for everyone.
Together, AtScale + Databricks envisioned a future where data insights are accessible to all, empowering organizations to build with flexibility, trust, and freedom from vendor lock-in. Now, that vision is becoming a reality. With the integration of AtScale’s Semantic Layer + Databricks Genie, enterprises can ensure trusted, accurate AI-powered insights, making Generative BI scalable, explainable, and enterprise-ready.
Listen to the whole conversation:
>> Open Source Semantics: Setting the Standard for Interoperability with Databricks and AtScale
Thursday
As we move further into Data Intelligence Week, it’s clear that the future of enterprise analytics is centered on AI-driven insights, self-service BI, and governed data intelligence. However, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and accessibility remains challenging for many organizations.
One of the most significant barriers to AI adoption in analytics is the complexity of interacting with data. Business users often lack SQL expertise, making extracting meaningful insights from raw enterprise data difficult. While tools like Databricks Genie offer an intuitive natural language interface, they still need a governance layer to ensure accuracy, consistency, and enterprise alignment. That’s where the AtScale semantic layer comes in providing that governance by:
✔ Translating natural language questions into high-accuracy SQL queries
✔ Enforcing consistent, business-aligned metrics across BI tools
✔ Optimizing query performance to accelerate analytics workflows
To further explore the power of this integration, AtScale + Databricks are hosting a webinar this month on March 26 at 2 PM ET. This webinar will cover:
- How a Semantic Layer ensures trust in AI-generated analytics
- Why governance is critical for enterprise AI adoption
- How to unlock real-time, business-aware insights at scale
Organizations looking to future-proof their AI and BI strategies should not miss this discussion. Register for the Webinar Here →
Friday
As we close out Data Intelligence Week, we turn our focus to the technical advancements that make AI-powered BI more reliable, scalable, and performant. With the integration of AtScale’s Semantic Layer + Databricks Genie, enterprises can now leverage AI-driven analytics with unprecedented accuracy, consistency, and speed.
With this integration, organizations have already seen significant improvements in query performance and accuracy:
- 95%+ accuracy in AI-generated SQL queries (compared to ~20% without a semantic layer)
- Faster query execution, improving self-service analytics for business users
- Seamless interoperability, allowing organizations to use AI-powered insights across their BI ecosystem
AtScale and Databricks are setting a new standard for enterprise AI-powered BI—one that is trusted, explainable, and scalable.
See It in Action: Watch the AtScale + Genie Demo
For those looking to experience the power of AtScale + Databricks Genie firsthand, we invite you to explore our demo showcasing:
- How AtScale enhances AI-powered querying for business users
- The impact of a governed Semantic Layer on AI-driven BI
- Best practices for integrating NLQ into your data stack
Watch the AtScale + Databricks Genie Demo Here →
The Future of AI + BI Starts Here
With Data Intelligence Week coming to a close, the conversation around trusted AI-powered analytics is just getting started. The next big event on the horizon? The Semantic Layer Summit 2025, where we’ll dive even deeper into the role of semantics in shaping the future of AI and BI.
We’re excited to feature three expert speakers from Databricks who are leading the charge in AI-driven analytics, interoperability, and data governance:
- Joseph Hobbs – Sr. Specialist Solutions Architect at Databricks, specializing in AI and all things Semantics
- Ken Wong – Sr. Director, Product Management at Databricks, building AI/BI and DBSQL
- Dael Williamson – EMEA CTO at Databricks, championing open standards and interoperability
Join us at the Semantic Layer Summit 2025 to hear firsthand how AtScale + Databricks are transforming the AI and BI landscape with governed, explainable, and scalable analytics. Register now to secure your spot!
Thank You for Tuning into Data Intelligence Week!
We appreciate everyone who joined us for a week of deep dives, discussions, and game-changing announcements about the future of AI-powered BI. We can’t wait to continue the conversation at the Semantic Layer Summit and beyond. Until then, keep unlocking the power of trusted, scalable, and explainable AI analytics.
See you next year for Data Intelligence Week 2026!
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