Informatica's Vice President of Products Gaurav Pathak has revealed the benefits of using the recently announced artificial intelligence (AI) tool, CLAIRE GPT.
Pathak has spent over a decade with the company, contributing significantly to its evolution in both data management and AI.
"I've been with Informatica for 11 years, starting with big data and now leading our AI initiatives," Pathak shared in an interview with TechDay.
He stressed Informatica's core focus is on providing comprehensive data management solutions, including data cataloguing, governance, quality, integration, and master data management.
Informatica has been striving in data management since it was established the 90s, initially focused on transferring data from OLTP systems like Salesforce and SAP into data warehouses such as Teradata. Over the years, the company has expanded its offerings to cover end-to-end data management capabilities.
"Our focus is to look at data problems of large enterprises and address them at scale, ensuring their data is ready for AI and other modern applications," Pathak explained.
With the increasing importance of AI and data privacy regulations, Informatica stays proactive in guiding businesses and policymakers. Pathak stressed the need for government involvement in regulating AI companies that develop large frontier models.
He also highlighted a study indicating that GPT-4 is more persuasive than humans, and even capable of changing conspiracy theorists' minds.
"This is the right time to ensure ethical and regulatory frameworks are in place as these models evolve," he expressed.
Pathak also pointed out that most enterprises are not in the business of training large AI models but are instead fine-tuning existing models for their specific needs. For these enterprises, he emphasised the importance of data governance, data quality, and ensuring that no sensitive information is included in the models.
"Regulatory bodies need to consider the type of data used in these models and ensure quality and privacy standards are maintained."
Informatica's approach to regulatory compliance and ethics mirrors its strategies for data governance. Pathak believes that AI models are essentially compressed data, requiring similar governance principles.
Speaking with TechDay, he praised the regulatory frameworks in regions like APAC, particularly Australia's voluntary AI principles established in 2019. "These principles provide a transparent foundation that enterprises can build upon, ensuring responsible AI development," he noted.
One of Informatica's key differentiators is its focus on responsible use of metadata and customer data.
"Your data is never used for training our AI models," he assured. Pathak believes having transparency is what builds trust among users.
Informatica also ensures that all AI development is aligned with human preferences, enhancing productivity for data engineers and other users.
The concept of "fit for business data" is central to Informatica's mission.
"We convert disparate data from various systems into holistic, high-quality information ready for AI and other applications," Pathak said.
This approach ensures that only relevant and high-quality data is used, making businesses more efficient and compliant with privacy regulations.
A significant recent development from Informatica is the launch of CLAIRE GPT, announced at Informatica World.
Pathak, who played a pivotal role in its development, described CLAIRE GPT as Chat GPT for enterprise data.
"While Chat GPT excels with internet data, CLAIRE GPT is tailored for enterprise data," he said. CLAIRE GPT leverages Informatica's extensive data management services to provide accurate, context-specific answers based on an organisation's unique data ecosystem.
Informatica's CLAIRE GPT is designed to meet the stringent privacy and security needs of enterprises.
"We ensure that data stays within the Informatica cloud, using local large language models to provide answers without compromising privacy," Pathak stated.
The product has been well-received during its preview phase, with early adopters like SSM Health utilising it for various data query purposes.
Pathak highlighted that CLAIRE GPT is built on the robust infrastructure of Informatica's existing data management services.
"It stands on all the services Informatica already has, orchestrating data integration, quality, and cataloguing capabilities," he said. This integration ensures that CLAIRE GPT can deliver both precise and actionable insights to enterprise users.
Driving customer adoption of Informatica's technologies are three major initiatives: digital modernisation, analytics, and generative AI.
Pathak noted that despite the buzz around generative AI, many organisations are still on their digital modernisation journey, where Informatica plays a crucial role.
"Our services ensure that data is fit for business use, ready for analytics, and prepared for generative AI applications," he elaborated.
Informatica's commitment to helping customers navigate the challenges of data governance, quality, and integration is unwavering.
"We assist with all data management challenges, ensuring that only high-quality, privacy-compliant data is used in generative AI models," Pathak said. The company's long history in metadata management and its continuous innovation in AI make it a trusted partner for enterprises worldwide.
What sets Informatica apart from its competitors, according to Pathak, is its singular focus on data management.
"We pride ourselves on being the best in data integration, mastering, cataloguing, governance, and quality, all within a single data management platform," he asserted.
Informatica's neutrality, partnering seamlessly with various technology platforms, and its investment in AI capabilities like CLAIRE further distinguish it in the market.
