SAP has unveiled AI Foundation, a pivotal new platform that the company claims will serve as the operating system for all its Business AI solutions. This ambitious initiative is designed to accelerate the development of AI functionalities and agents, enabling organizations to leverage AI capabilities more efficiently within their SAP environments. The platform acts as a central hub, granting developers access to an array of tools necessary for building, extending, and deploying custom AI solutions at scale.
At the heart of AI Foundation are various components that integrate both new and existing SAP capabilities. It includes critical features such as a generative AI hub, Joule Studio, and the SAP Knowledge Graph—each contributing to a streamlined approach for managing AI solutions. The company envisions that AI Foundation will not only enhance productivity but also simplify the operations associated with AI development, ultimately lowering the total cost of ownership.
Significant enhancements are being introduced to existing SAP solutions. For instance, Joule Studio, a major component of SAP Build, is set to receive an upgraded skill builder tool, which will allow developers to create, implement, and manage bespoke Joule skills. This functionality is expected to be accessible by the third quarter of 2025, followed closely by the ability to develop low-code and no-code AI agents—as part of Joule Studio—starting in the fourth quarter of the same year.
The SAP Knowledge Graph adds another layer of sophistication, ensuring Joule has access to accurate data and context, enabling it to deliver precise answers swiftly. This is crucial as organizations increasingly rely on data-driven decision-making. Users will benefit from the capacity to explore data within Joule without needing complex integrations, with support for SAP Cloud ERP and the Business Data Cloud expected to launch by the third quarter of 2025.
A noteworthy addition to AI Foundation is the Tabular AI service, which is based on the SAP Foundation Model. This service aims to amalgamate structured data residing in disparate silos, allowing AI applications to generate predictive insights. This capability is projected to be generally available in the latter half of 2025, further expanding the possibilities for businesses to derive actionable data.
The recent SAP TechEd 2023 event presented a broader vision of how SAP is embedding generative AI across its suite of enterprise solutions. There, the company discussed its new SAP Build Code solutions, which facilitate cooperation between professional developers and citizen developers. By optimising these tools for Java and JavaScript, and integrating them with Joule, SAP aims to expedite the coding process, allowing faster application delivery for data models and application functionalities.
To meet the surging demand for skilled developers, SAP is investing in educational initiatives, including new role-based certifications and free learning resources, aiming to upskill two million professionals by 2025. This is vital in empowering developers to navigate complex AI landscapes effectively and ensuring that businesses can fully harness the capabilities of AI technologies.
Further solidifying its commitment to AI innovation, SAP has also formed strategic partnerships with leading generative AI companies, including Aleph Alpha, Anthropic, and Cohere. These investments are part of a broader goal to enhance SAP’s AI capabilities within its portfolio while fostering an open ecosystem for AI development.
In conclusion, SAP’s AI Foundation represents a significant leap toward unifying AI experience across business platforms. By lowering barriers to entry for AI development and providing robust tools, SAP is positioning itself as a leader in the AI-enhanced enterprise landscape.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
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