The ai_search SQL function
Retrieval from an AI Search index, reranking and an optional grounded answer, all from one SQL function.
Why it is worth watching
Retrieval-augmented generation collapsed into a single SQL call, with citations arriving alongside it.
What Beta promises
Open to most customers but not for production: support runs through engineering, and the shape of it can still move. On by default on Premium, off on Enterprise.
| Who can use it | Most customers |
|---|---|
| Production use | No |
| Support | Engineering only |
| On by default | Premium yes, Enterprise no |
The definitions are Databricks' own, on its release types page. The label on this page is the one the feature's documentation states, last checked on 14 Sept 2026.
Where to read more
It is part of something we wrote up: AI functions in SQL — The ai_* family: task-specific functions for parsing, extraction, classification and text work, the general-purpose ai_query, and which of them are actually generally available.