Generative AIs like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have been steadily improving their chart-making abilities during the past year or so and now claim to be top-notch chart creation tools. Is this just AI hype, or is it time to switch from Excel/Tableau/etc.?

❓ Is it faster and/or easier to create charts in AI?

❓ Can AI handle the kinds of charts that you need to create? How good are the results?

❓ How much human help does AI need? Can it produce well-designed charts without human intervention?

❓ Are AI-generated charts reliable and accurate?

Having recently put various AIs through their chart-making paces, I can say that the answer to all of these questions is a resounding “it depends.” Sometimes it makes sense to use AI (although there are important caveats to be aware of). Sometimes, however, a tool like Excel or Tableau will be the better choice. When should you use which tool? What are the caveats around using AI? Find out in my latest video (see links below).

One thing that became clear in my testing was that, if you want top-notch charts, you still need top-notch dataviz skillz—even if you're using AI. How can you acquire those skills quickly? Well one pretty good way would be to take my Practical Charts course, which I’ll be delivering in a live online public workshop in June! Info/registration: https://www.practicalreporting.com/june-2025-online-workshop

Watch the "Should you use AI to create charts?" video on...