Source: Salesforce
Enterprise BI is pushing decision-making Agentic AI platforms beyond mere visualization and more toward automated action on rails. At its Tableau Conference 2025, Salesforce just unveiled Tableau Next as its revamped analytics offering to reshape how users interact with data.
Agentic overhaul: Pitched as the "world's first agentic analytics platform," Tableau Next is built on the Salesforce Platform and leverages Data Cloud, integrating deeply with Agentforce to transform the data-to-action workflow. Access to these new capabilities comes via the Tableau+ license suite, which bundles Tableau Cloud with Data Cloud credits and the new Tableau Next features.
AI assistants: The platform introduces specialized AI agents including Data Pro for automating data preparation, Concierge for answering natural language queries with visualizations, and Inspector for proactively monitoring data shifts and trends. These agents rely on Tableau Semantics, an AI-powered layer designed to provide consistent business context and meaning to ensure trusted insights, according to Tableau's blog.
Analyst roles & pricing puzzle: While Salesforce executives like Tableau CEO Ryan Aytay insist AI will augment analyst roles rather than replace them, concerns about job displacement persist, as highlighted by Rebecca Wetteman of Valoir as reported via CXtoday. Adding to the uncertainty is the currently opaque agent pricing strategy, which Wetteman noted could hinder adoption, especially given the existing $2 Agentforce consumption rate that has reportedly "scared a lot of people."
Ecosystem fit: Positioned as the future path for Tableau AI innovation and requiring Salesforce Data Cloud, Tableau Next aims to become the central analytics engine within the wider Salesforce ecosystem, a distinction clarified by partner Atrium.ai. Early adopters like Box and IBM have voiced support, with Box CIO Ravi Malick stating, "We believe that Agentic Analytics will be instrumental in enhancing our ability to predict future trends."
Availability roadmap: Tableau Next and Tableau Semantics are generally available now within the Tableau+ SKU, according to Salesforce's announcement. The Concierge and Data Pro agents are slated for general availability in June 2025, with the Inspector agent and an internal Marketplace planned for release later in 2025.