Semantic models (previously known as Power BI datasets, Cubes or Tabular Models) are one of the most important parts of Microsoft Fabric. They contain business logic and calculations that many different teams and individuals need. Semantic models don't just support technical artifacts for reporting and analytics; they support business-critical decision-making and actions.
Semantic models are how most business users will interface with data, be it via visuals in reports, natural language prompts with generative AI, or exploratory and ad hoc analyses in other tools. When someone answers a question or a problem with data, most of the time, that information will arrive from a query to a semantic model.
Semantic models aren't just a powerful, re-usable toolbox; they are strategic assets critical for an organization to get the most from data, analytics, and AI (including LLMs and AI agents). Good semantic models can help you create good reports, analyses, and tools, which in turn can help you achieve organizational business objectives. At Tabular Editor, we see the semantic model as the central nervous system of analytics; the brain that takes data input and processes it into meaningful output that leads to decisions, actions, and purposeful change.