Announcing KNIME Analytics Platform 5.1

KNIME Analytics Platform’s intuitive low-code/no-code interface has always reduced the learning curve for data science–whether it’s taking your first steps, stepping into more advanced analytics, or adopting the latest and greatest machine learning technique.

Today, we’re proud to offer our community an even better user experience with the launch of KNIME Analytics Platform 5.1. The latest release makes it easier to get started with KNIME, find the nodes or workflows you’re looking for, and build and iterate on solutions faster. Besides a sleek new look and feel, the KNIME Analytics Platform now has an AI assistant, K-AI that answers questions and builds workflows based on user input. This is a fundamental next step towards further eliminating the friction from making sense of data–empowering humans to do what they do best–interpreting insights–while leaving mundane tasks to automation.

Here’s a look at the biggest features of the latest release.

First introduced in the early access version 5.0, KNIME Analytics Platform 5.1 comes with a modern look and feel, a more intuitive workflow editor, and improved navigation and search, making it easier for users to find the specific functionality they need from the vast library of available nodes to build workflows faster.

Additionally, improved workflow annotations enhance explainability and knowledge sharing among teams. This further enhances KNIME's collaborative nature, serving as a universal language across various disciplines.

Initially available in the early access version 5.0, the KNIME 5.1 release includes the Starter Perspective designed to assist beginners and spreadsheet users in building workflows with ease. The Starter Perspective recommends commonly used nodes for data manipulation tasks such as reading and writing data to spreadsheets, cleaning, merging, aggregating, filtering and more.

The latest release is particularly helpful for spreadsheet users looking to transition to a no-code/low-code approach to analytics. KNIME Analytics Platform 5.1 introduces new data wrangling features that allow users to easily automate and enhance their typical spreadsheet tasks.

One of the most exciting additions to KNIME Analytics Platform is K-AI, a new AI assistant based on ChatGPT. K-AI is a prototype and not yet recommended for production–but helps onboard new users by answering questions and even building workflows automatically based on their directions. This early release prototype demonstrates how generative AI can accelerate upskilling and work alongside humans to deliver valuable data solutions faster.

Version 5.1 also includes an AI extension in early release mode. This extension enables users to build their own AI assistant or augment their workflows with AI. The extension supports both state-of-the-art OpenAI models and open source Large Language Models (LLMs) from the Hugging Face Hub.

The release makes exploring data and sharing insights more efficient with new nodes for data visualizations such as ROC Curve, Sunburst Chart, and Parallel Coordinates, now available in the modern interface.

Users can also test out new static reporting capabilities available in Labs. They can build visualizations, just as they would in a data app and get the choice to export it to a static report or set of reports.

With the release of KNIME Analytics Platform 5.1, data analytics has become easier and more accessible than ever. KNIME's commitment to providing a free and open platform ensures that anyone, regardless of their background or experience, can make sense of their data. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced user, KNIME has something to offer.

• Try out the latest version of KNIME Analytics platform here.

• If you have any questions or if you’d like to see a demo, sign up for our webinar on August 1 and get answers directly from the KNIME development team.

• Learn more about performance improvements, additional connectivity to 3rd party services, and Python extension enhancements included in this release in the What’s New in KNIME Analytics Platform 5.1.