Enabling cross-region inference
To provide the latest high-performing AI capabilities and help optimize performance, some Qlik Cloud AI features use models that are available only through cross-region inference. Enabling cross-region inference gives you access to AI features that may require inference processing in other regions.
Overview
Each Qlik Cloud tenant is assigned to a specific geographic region. By default, your data is processed and stored within that region.
Enabling cross-region inference allows Qlik Cloud to temporarily send an inference request required for processing to the AWS region where the service is available, process the request there, and return the results. The request is only sent outside your designated tenant region if capacity is constrained or the model is not available in your tenant region. This gives you access to the latest AI capabilities and helps support a reliable user experience. Processing is transient and does not store or cache data in the processing region.
Data protection
Although data may move between regions, it remains within the strict security and compliance boundaries of AWS. Cross-region inference uses encryption in transit and is governed by AWS security controls.
Your data will never be used to train third-party large language models (LLMs), and enabling cross-region inference does not give Qlik or AWS access to your data.
Capabilities that require cross-region inference
The following features are only available when cross-region inference is enabled:
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Qlik Answers
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The agentic experience requires cross-region inference. It includes the Help agent and the Qlik Answers for structured and unstructured analysis.
For more information, see Qlik Answers. -
You can continue to use the legacy Qlik Answers experience (the Q&A chatbot for unstructured data) within your tenant region without enabling cross-region inference.
For more information, see Working with legacy assistants.
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Pipelines
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AI SQL assistant
For more information, see Generating a SQL transformation from a text prompt. -
AI model recommendations
For more information, see Creating a data model.
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API Designer
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Generate contract
For more information, see Creating an API with AI Assistant (Talend help).
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Data governance
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AI data quality validation rule generation
For more information, see Working with validation rules. -
AI-generated descriptions
For more information, see Generating an AI-based description.
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Discovery Agent
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For more information, see Discovery Agent.
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Qlik Predict
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AI recommendations for features on which to run bias detection (optional)
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Bias detection does not require cross-region inference. Using AI to recommend features is optional and performed before bias detection runs. You can still run bias detection without AI—that is, without cross-region inference—by manually selecting features on which to run bias detection.
For more information, see Using generative AI to recommend features for bias detection.
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The list of features that require cross-region inference may expand as new AI capabilities become available.
Inference processing locations
When processing inference requests for the capabilities listed above, multiple calls are made to AI models. These calls include inputs from the user, metadata, and data accessible within the tenant. Data transmitted to another region via cross-region inference does not persist. It is processed in real time and not stored in the processing region.
The tables below show inference processing locations for these calls for each tenant region. To receive notifications of updates, subscribe to the Qlik Cross Region Inference article in Qlik Community.
How to subscribe to the article in Qlik Community
Do the following:
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Sign in to Qlik Community with your account.
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Go to Qlik Cross Region Inference.
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Click the vertical ellipsis (three dots) next to the article title.
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Select Subscribe from the menu.
You will receive notifications when the article is updated.
Qlik Answers inference processing locations
The following table lists the inference processing locations for Qlik Answers for each tenant region, along with the applicable time periods.
Inference processing locations for Pipelines, API Designer, and Data governance
The following table lists the inference processing locations for Pipelines, API Designer, and Data governance AI for each tenant region, along with the applicable time periods.
Inference processing locations for Discovery Agent
The following table lists the inference processing locations for Discovery Agent for each tenant region, along with the applicable time periods.
Inference processing locations for Qlik Predict
The following table lists locations where inference requests may be processed for optional usage of large language models (LLMs) during bias detection in ML experiments. The locations are listed for each tenant region, along with the applicable time periods.
Enabling cross-region inference
As a tenant administrator, you can turn cross-region inference on or off.
What happens when you enable cross-region inference
When you enable cross-region inference, permission settings for AI features become visible and adjustable in the Administration activity center.
For the AI capabilities listed above that require cross-region inference, the following permissions are set to Not allowed by default:
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Data analysis: Analyze data and create charts with Qlik Answers.
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Qlik product help: Use Qlik Answers to find relevant product documentation.
You can find these permissions in the User Default and custom roles settings under Features and actions > Agentic AI. You can control access to these features by adjusting the relevant permission settings.
Access to AI features in Pipelines, API Designer, and Data governance is controlled by the standard permissions for those areas, such as dataset permissions and pipeline build permissions.
Prerequisite for enabling cross-region inference
Before you enable cross-region inference, make sure that the Data analysis permission (under Insight advisor) is set to Not allowed in the following locations:
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User Default settings
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Any custom roles that include this permission
Enable cross-region inference
Do the following:
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In the Administration activity center, go to Settings > Tenant.
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Under AI features in Qlik, turn on Enable cross-region inference.
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In the confirmation dialog, select the checkbox to confirm that you are authorized to enable cross-region inference, and then click Confirm.
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On the next page, click Submit to apply the changes.
Control access to AI features
After you enable cross-region inference, you can control which users have access to each AI feature. Access to AI features is controlled by manually configured user role permissions.
Controlling access for all users
To control access for all users in a tenant, set the permissions in the User Default role.
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In the Administration activity center, go to Manage users > Permissions, and click User Default.
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Select Features and actions.
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For access to Qlik Answers agentic AI, under the Agentic AI section, set the following permissions to Allowed:
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Data analysis: This provides access to Qlik Answers to analyze data, create charts, and gather insights from documents.
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Qlik product help: (Optional) This allows users to access Qlik Answers for product documentation guidance.
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For access to generating AI-based descriptions and suggestions, under Data quality, set the following permissions to Allowed:
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AI-based descriptions and suggestions: This allows users to create AI-based dataset descriptions to quickly add a precise description to a dataset.
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Controlling access for specific users
To allow only specific users or groups to use an AI feature, use custom user roles. For more information, see Managing custom roles.
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In the Administration activity center, go to Manage users > Permissions.
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Select an existing custom role or create a new custom role.
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Select Features and actions.
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For access to Qlik Answers agentic AI, under the Agentic AI section, set the following permissions to Allowed:
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Data analysis: This provides access to Qlik Answers to analyze data, create charts, and gather insights from documents.
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Qlik product help: (Optional) This allows users to access Qlik Answers for product documentation guidance.
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For access to generating AI-based descriptions and suggestions, under Data quality, set the following permissions to Allowed:
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AI-based descriptions and suggestions: This allows users to create AI-based dataset descriptions to quickly add a precise description to a dataset.
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Assign the role to the users or groups you want to allow.
Turn off cross-region inference
Before you turn off cross-region inference, you must set all related AI feature permissions—such as Data analysis and Qlik product help—to Not allowed in the following locations:
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User Default settings
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Any custom roles that include these permissions
Alternatively, you can remove any custom roles that contain these permissions.