Training course recommendation on learning Natural Language to SQL within SQL Server?

[D_PBI]

Hi (I hope this is a suitable forum),
We currently get our insights through Power BI (PBI) accessing data within SQL Server. Producing thsese reports/insights is labour intensive. With the introduction of AI, I've been tasked to find our if we are able to write questions (in Natural Language) of our data (held within SQL Server) and have the answers returned. If this is possible then it may negate the need for PBI reports to be generated to achieve the same insights.
I have no understanding of AI at present. My gut is telling me the data model will have to be specific and very descriptive, and then we'd have to rely on customers (end-users) asking their questions in a regimented way - all challenges.
I've been reading various online articles on the subject but each article, it seems, recommends different software and I'm gaining no momentum. Therefore, I am here to ask if you can advise on any training courses that would take me from a complete novice to someone who can, either, get the aim working or is equipped to advise it wouldn't work with our setup.
We are a Microsoft (MS) house (SQL Server, Dynamics, etc...) and all in Azure. Any training material should follow using MS technologies otherwise the I.T. dept may put a blocker on it.
Your suggestions will be most welcome. Thanks.

[rizalard0684]

hey @D_PBI 

The answers from @LiamOPax8 and @v-kpoloju-msft are already good enough and I completely agree with them.

However, to add on top of that, since I'm an advocate for hands-on training (not traditional training course) and since you are already using SQL Server within Azure, how about you try Copilot in Azure SQL here?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/copilot/copilot-azure-sql-overview?view=azuresql-d...

In addition, this is also a very useful medium post on how you go about asking normal human questions in Azure SQL DB:

https://medium.com/@DatawithKotha/copilot-in-azure-sql-database-your-ai-dba-assistant-2d8aed955767#:....

The best way to learn is to get your hands dirty through trial and error 😄

Appreciate if you can 'Kudos' and/or 'Accept as Solution' if this answered your query.

[LiamOPax8]

I’m actually looking into this myself at the moment, so I’m not an expert yet, but I’ve been testing a few approaches in the Microsoft stack.

From what I’ve seen so far, yes, natural language querying over SQL data is possible, but it does not completely remove the need for something like Power BI or a well-structured data model. Your instinct is probably right. The clearer and more descriptive the data is, the better the results tend to be.

If you’re already using SQL Server, Azure, and Power BI, I would stay within that ecosystem and look at things like Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, and Copilot, rather than introducing lots of separate tools.

One thing I’ve been experimenting with is using Fabric to bring data into a lakehouse, then using Copilot in Notebooks to explore the data in natural language. This is not a full end-user solution, but more a way to understand how well AI can interpret the dataset.

For example, you can give it a prompt like this:

 

Analyse all tables in the attached lakehouse.

For each table:

- Describe what the table likely represents

- Classify it as one of:

  - transactional (fact-like)

  - reference (dimension-like)

  - bridge/helper

  - unknown

Also include:

- row count estimate

- key-looking columns

- any obvious issues (nulls, duplicates, naming issues)

``

 

That will not replace reporting on its own, but it is useful for:

• understanding how AI-ready your data is
• seeing how well natural language works against your schema
• identifying gaps in naming, structure, and relationships

From there, you can move into more user-style questions like:

• “What are the top customers by revenue this quarter?”
• “Show trends over time”

If you are starting from scratch, I would focus training on:

• data modelling
• Power BI and semantic models
• Microsoft Fabric
• Copilot and natural language features on top

So overall, it is achievable, but it works best as an addition to a well-modelled dataset rather than a full replacement for BI.

Would be interested to see what others are using as well.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @D_PBI, 
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

Natural Language-to-SQL (NL2SQL) is possible within the Microsoft ecosystem using Azure OpenAI, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Fabric, and Power BI Copilot. The quality of results depends on having a well-structured SQL Server data model with meaningful table and column names, clear relationships, documented business definitions, and appropriate security controls. AI can enable users to ask questions in plain English and generate SQL queries, but it is generally best used alongside Power BI rather than as a complete replacement, since Power BI continues to provide governed reporting, dashboards, KPIs, and visual analytics.

Since you are new to AI, a good starting point would be Microsoft's AI-900 Azure AI Fundamentals training, followed by learning about Azure OpenAI, Copilot Studio, and Fabric Copilot capabilities. I would also recommend building a small proof of concept using a subset of your SQL Server data to evaluate answer quality, security requirements, and business adoption before considering a broader implementation. This approach will help determine whether Natural Language querying can effectively support your reporting and analytics needs.

Refer these links:

1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/fundamentals/copilot-fabric-overview? 
2. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/create-reports/copilot-introduction? 

Hope this helps. If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to reach out to us. We will be happy to help.