Understand Copilot for Data Engineering and Data Science

  • 2 minutes

Copilot for Data Engineering and Data Science in Microsoft Fabric is an AI-powered assistant that supports common data engineering and data science tasks. It provides contextualized code suggestions and natural language responses for tasks across data engineering and data science domains. It is available directly in a notebook, allowing you to interact with your data and code.

Key concepts

The following fundamental concepts describe how Copilot for Data Engineering and Data Science works.

AI-assisted code generation enables you to describe your data integration requirements in natural language, such as "Load sales data from CSV and filter for the last quarter." Copilot then generates the necessary code and steps, reducing the time spent searching for syntax or troubleshooting errors. This is especially helpful for users who struggle with remembering complex Pandas or Spark commands.

With code explanation, Copilot can clarify what a block of code does, making it easier to understand complex queries or unfamiliar scripts. For example, if you encounter a multi-step data transformation and aren't sure how it works, Copilot provides a plain-language summary, helping you learn and avoid mistakes.

Visualization support allows you to create charts and graphs from your data. If you’re unsure how to plot trends or compare categories, ask Copilot to visualize your dataset. This feature helps users who find it challenging to select the right visualization or write plotting code, making data exploration more intuitive.

Data science

For data scientists working on machine learning, Copilot helps build and train models. If you are new to machine learning or unsure how to start, ask Copilot to generate code for tasks such as splitting data, training a regression model, and evaluating results. This lowers the barrier to entry and lets you focus on business problems instead of technical details.

By using these features, you can overcome common challenges such as lack of coding experience, difficulty understanding complex logic, and uncertainty about best practices. Copilot empowers you to work smarter, learn faster, and deliver insights more efficiently.

Here's an example of how you can interact with Copilot in the Notebook:

Screenshot of copilot in a Fabric Notebook.

We’ll explore this topic in more detail in a later module.

Benefits

By using Copilot for Data Engineering and Data Science, you can perform common tasks, reduce some errors, and focus on deriving insights and building models from your data. Here are some areas where it can help:

  • Efficiency: Automates repetitive tasks.
  • Accessibility: Supports users by enabling natural language interactions.
  • Accuracy: Provides context-based suggestions aligned with data structure.
  • Collaboration: Can help with documentation and sharing outputs.