Insights from the 2025 Databricks Data + AI Summit

A Front-Row Seat to the Future of Analytics

As a data analyst intern at 3Cloud, I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2025 Databricks Data + AI Summit, and it was one of the most exciting learning experiences I’ve had. The event brought together thousands of data professionals, engineers and AI enthusiasts to explore the latest innovations in analytics and artificial intelligence. While AI is still seen by some as a “new” concept, the Summit made one thing clear: AI is no longer a buzzword, it’s transforming how we approach business intelligence.

One of the highlights for me was a live training session led by Marcelino Mayorga, where we got hands-on training with Databricks AI/BI tools. It was a great way to connect the dots between the concepts and how they’re used in real-world workflows. Seeing how AI can take over the repetitive stuff and help analysts focus more on insights stuck with me. In this blog article, I’ll break down what I learned about how AI is reshaping the role of data analysts

 

From Manual to Meaningful: The Traditional Analyst Role

Before AI entered the picture, the role of a data analyst was largely focused on manual, repetitive tasks such as:

  • Cleaning and preparing data
  • Writing SQL queries
  • Analyzing trends using statistical methods
  • Building dashboards and reports
  • Delivering insights to business teams
  • Collaborating with stakeholders to define metrics

It’s foundational work, but it can get repetitive. Even though analysts are often thought to work with curated data in the gold layer, it’s not uncommon to still spend time cleaning or reshaping datasets, writing similar queries and maintaining dashboards – leaving less time for deeper analysis and strategic thinking.

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What’s New: AI-Powered Business Intelligence Tools

At the Summit, I saw firsthand how AI is being embedded into BI platforms to make analytics more intuitive, interactive and accessible – even for non-technical users.

AI/BI Dashboards
These next-gen dashboards use AI to:

  • Auto-generate visualizations
  • Suggest summary statistics
  • Add real-time filters and widgets
  • Simplify collaboration and insight sharing

AI/BI Genie: Conversational Analytics in Action
One of the most impressive tools I encountered was Databricks’ AI/BI Genie, a conversational analytics assistant. It allows users to ask questions in plain English and receive instant, AI-powered answers – without writing a single line of SQL.

What makes Genie stand out is how it blends natural language querying with governed, secure data access. Analysts can set up “Genie Spaces” that define what data Genie can use, how it should respond, and even include trusted queries to guide it. It’s like giving your business users a smart, safe way to explore data without needing to write SQL.

As an intern, I found it inspiring to see how tools like Genie can shift analysts into more strategic roles – enabling others to explore the data more confidently.

 

The Evolving Role of the Data Analyst

AI isn’t replacing analysts, it’s elevating their role. Today’s analysts, instead of just building reports, are now:

  • Curating clean, well-documented datasets
  • Training AI tools with trusted queries and examples
  • Guiding business teams in data exploration
  • Focusing on strategy, storytelling, and decision support

To stay ahead, analysts need to embrace AI tools and learn how to guide them effectively.

 

Key Takeaways for Aspiring Analysts

The 2025 Databricks Data + AI Summit made it clear: we’re entering a new era of analytics. AI and BI are converging to create smarter, faster and more collaborative workflows. For data analysts, this means more opportunities to lead, innovate and make a measurable impact.

If you’re an intern like me, or just starting out in data, I highly recommend exploring tools like Databricks AI/BI Dashboards and Genie. The future of analytics is here – and it’s smarter, faster, and more collaborative than ever.

 

This blog article was written by Blake Rodriguez, 3Cloud Data Analyst Intern. To learn more about joining the 3Cloud team, visit 3cloudsolutions.com/join-us