E11: From Decision Support to AI Integration: Navigating BI's Evolution with Donald Farmer

In episode 11 of Practically Intelligent, we take a look at the dynamic and intricate world of business intelligence (BI) with the esteemed Donald Farmer, a pioneer in BI and the driving force behind Power BI. This episode takes us on a journey through the evolution of BI, from its roots in decision support systems to the burgeoning era of machine learning and the transformative potential of language models.

Donald shares insights on:

• The early days of BI and the launch of Power BI, setting the stage for today's AI advancements.
• The transition from traditional data warehousing to the necessity for centralization and the advent of self-service BI tools.
• How predictive analytics moved from a specialization to a mainstream necessity, paving the way for AI's role in strategic decision-making.
• The emergence of language models as key players in shaping strategic decisions, making AI not just a tool but a team member in the decision-making process.

We also explore the broad spectrum of decisions influenced by BI tools, from operational to strategic, and how machine learning and AI are revolutionizing this landscape. Donald offers a critical perspective on the current hype cycle in AI, distinguishing between genuine innovation and overblown claims.