Databricks has launched the second generation of Genie, turning its data-analysis assistant into an always-on, autonomous agent that takes ownership of enterprise work instead of waiting to be asked.
Key Takeaways
- Genie now runs continuously in the background, monitoring data and surfacing insights without being prompted for each task.
- HelloFresh says the new Genie Search cut the time to identify winning ad creative on Meta by 75 per cent.
- Genie and Genie Ontology are generally available now; Genie Search, Ontology Manager and the always-on agent are rolling out in preview and beta.
Genie Takes Ownership of the Work
Databricks said the update marks a shift from AI that answers questions to AI that manages outcomes. The always-on Genie can run sub-agents, maintain a priority inbox and send email alerts when it finds something worth a human’s attention, acting more like a team member than a chatbot.
“The next leap for AI agents is to move from reactive assistants to proactive teammates that take ownership of outcomes,” said Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and chief executive officer of Databricks.
Grounded in a Company’s Own Context
The new Genie Ontology works with Unity Catalog and Unity Gateway to give the agent a governed, structured understanding of a company’s data, metrics and business logic, rather than treating every query as a blank slate. Databricks said this lets Genie reason about live, governed data artifacts and apply consistent business definitions across teams.
Search Across 100+ Data Sources
Genie Search extends this further, letting the agent search across more than 100 connectors spanning a company’s internal systems. Paired with the new Ontology Manager, this is designed to let Genie surface relevant information from scattered systems without a human first telling it where to look.
Databricks is also pushing Genie beyond its own platform, with “Genie everywhere” integrations planned for ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Cowork and Grok Bot.
An Early Customer Reports a Concrete Gain
Databricks pointed to HelloFresh as an early adopter of Genie Search, citing a measurable improvement to a marketing workflow.
“Genie Search has cut the time it takes us to identify our winning ad creative on Meta by 75 per cent,” said Alan Khalil of HelloFresh.
Databricks said other early users, including Headspace and Slack, have also moved from querying Genie on demand to relying on it as a continuous, proactive layer over their data.
Genie and Genie Ontology are generally available today. Genie Search, Ontology Manager and the always-on Genie agent are rolling out in preview and beta over the coming months.
