Qlik’s Open Data Lakehouse Disrupts Snowflake
How does Qlik’s Open Data Lakehouse Disrupts Snowflake?
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are racing to harness hyperautomation—a term coined by Gartner to describe a disciplined, business-driven approach to rapidly identify, vet, and automate processes using a symphony of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), and integration platforms. At Differentia Consulting, we see hyperautomation as the backbone of modern efficiency, but the future lies in agentic AI—a transformative leap that takes robotic automation beyond rule-based systems to autonomous, adaptive decision-making. Enabled by real-time data through Change Data Capture (CDC) tools and Qlik’s ground-breaking Open Data Lakehouse, agentic AI is poised to redefine how businesses automate and innovate.
From Rule-Based Robots to Agentic Autonomy: The Evolution of AI
Today’s robots and generative AI systems, which we symbolize as AI = H^1 (where H represents human intelligence), excel at mimicking human-like outputs. These systems—whether industrial robots on a factory floor or AI models generating text, images, or analytics—operate within predefined rules or learned patterns, akin to “if-this-then-that” logic. For example, robotic process automation (RPA) streamlines repetitive tasks like data entry, while generative AI produces human-quality content. However, these systems are constrained, lacking the autonomy to adapt dynamically to complex, real-world scenarios.
Enter agentic AI, which we represent as AI = H^?—human intelligence amplified to infinite potential (see notes). Agentic AI transcends rule-based logic, enabling robots and systems to make autonomous decisions, adapt to changing environments, and act proactively to achieve business goals. Unlike today’s robots, which follow scripted instructions, tomorrow’s agentic robots will anticipate needs, optimize processes, and execute decisions with minimal human intervention. This shift is the next frontier in hyperautomation, promising unprecedented levels of efficiency and innovation.
The Power of Real-Time Data with CDC
The key to agentic AI’s autonomy lies in real-time data. Traditional automation relies on static or batched data, limiting responsiveness. Change Data Capture (CDC) tools address this by continuously capturing and delivering data changes from sources like databases, applications, or IoT devices in real time. CDC ensures that agentic AI systems have access to the freshest, most accurate data, enabling them to make informed, autonomous decisions on the fly.
For instance, in a manufacturing plant, CDC can stream real-time sensor data to an agentic AI system, allowing it to adjust robotic operations instantly based on supply chain disruptions or production anomalies. In retail, real-time customer data can empower agentic AI to personalize offers dynamically, enhancing customer experiences and driving sales. By integrating CDC, businesses unlock the agility needed for hyperautomation’s full potential.
Qlik’s Open Data Lakehouse: Powering Agentic AI with Cost-Effective Innovation
At Qlik Connect 2025, Qlik unveiled a game-changer for hyperautomation: the Qlik Open Data Lakehouse, built on the Apache Iceberg table format with ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) capabilities. This fully managed data lakehouse delivers real-time, governed, and cost-effective data processing, perfectly suited for agentic AI’s demands.
- Apache Iceberg and ACID: The Iceberg format ensures high-performance analysis of massive datasets, with automated optimization features like data compaction, clustering, and pruning. ACID compliance guarantees reliable, consistent data updates, critical for real-time decision-making in agentic AI systems.
- Seamless Snowflake Integration: Qlik’s out-of-the-box integration with Snowflake, an elite partner, streamlines data replication, ingestion, and streaming, enabling businesses to feed real-time data into AI-driven workflows effortlessly.
- Agentic AI Capabilities: Qlik’s new AI agents, including discovery and pipeline agents, provide a conversational interface for users to uncover insights and automate workflows. These agents proactively identify risks, recommend actions, and design data pipelines based on business outcomes, embodying the autonomous spirit of AI = H^?.
This combination of real-time CDC, Iceberg’s scalability, and Snowflake integration creates a robust disruptive-foundation for agentic AI to drive hyperautomation. For example, a retailer using Qlik’s Open Data Lakehouse can leverage CDC to stream real-time inventory data, enabling an agentic AI to autonomously adjust supply chain logistics, reducing costs and improving agility—all at a lower infrastructure cost than traditional data warehouses.
Why Agentic AI Matters for Hyperautomation
Gartner predicts that by 2026, 30% of enterprises will automate over half their network activities, up from under 10% in 2023, driven by hyperautomation technologies like AI and RPA. Agentic AI takes this further by replacing rigid automation with adaptive, intelligent systems. As Frances Karamouzis, a Gartner analyst, notes, hyperautomation is part of a broader technology roadmap that spans systems of record to generative and agentic AI.
Consider the contrast:
- AI = H^1: Today’s robots and generative AI automate tasks within defined boundaries, like a factory robot welding parts or a chatbot answering queries based on trained data. These systems are powerful but limited to human-equivalent capabilities.
- AI = H^?: Agentic AI, powered by real-time data and platforms like Qlik’s Open Data Lakehouse, autonomously optimizes processes, predicts outcomes, and adapts to unforeseen challenges. Imagine a robot that not only assembles products but also reconfigures production lines in real time based on demand fluctuations.
This leap from H^1 to H^? transforms businesses, enabling them to “promote” employees to strategic roles while AI handles complex automation, as Gartner’s Manjunath Bhat suggests.
The Future of Automation with Differentia Consulting
At Differentia Consulting, we’re committed to helping businesses navigate this evolution. By integrating Qlik’s real-time Open Data Lakehouse, CDC tools, and agentic AI, we empower organisations to achieve hyperautomation that’s not just efficient but transformative. Our expertise in Qlik and Snowflake ensures seamless deployment of these technologies, unlocking real-time insights and autonomous decision-making.
The era of AI = H^? is here. Agentic AI, fueled by real-time data and cost-effective platforms like Qlik’s Open Data Lakehouse, is taking robotic automation to the next level. Contact Differentia Consulting to explore how we can help your business embrace hyperautomation and redefine what’s possible.
Call to Action: Ready to move from rule-based robots to autonomous innovation? Contact us to learn how our Qlik and Snowflake solutions can drive your hyperautomation journey.
Notes:
- Notations: Used AI = H^1 and AI = H^? defining H as human intelligence. Explained as metaphors for generative AI (human-equivalent, rule-based) and agentic AI (autonomous, limitless).
- Gartner’s Definition: Gartner’s hyperautomation definition (orchestrated use of AI, ML, RPA, etc.) to ground the article in industry context.
- Qlik’s Announcement: Highlighted Qlik’s Open Data Lakehouse, Apache Iceberg, ACID capabilities, and Snowflake integration, referencing Qlik Connect 2025 announcements.
