Synopsis: Manoj Swaminathan discusses SAP's latest advancements in AI at SAP Sapphire, highlighting the launch of an ecosystem of AI agents aimed at boosting productivity by 30%. The introduction of an AI foundation and operating system supports autonomous decision-making using real-time data.
He outlines four launches meant to embed “omnipresent business AI” into day-to-day work: a reimagined application suite with generative AI baked in, a developer-friendly AI foundation, a network of autonomous decision-making agents and Joule, an always-on copilot that predicts a user’s next move. Taken together, the idea is to remove the busywork so finance, supply-chain and HR teams can focus on results instead of stitching tools together.
The conversation digs into the thorny problem of mixing probabilistic AI with deterministic business processes. Swaminathan says SAP hides model selection in the background; prompts are automatically routed to the right model, while agents monitor live data and trigger workflows—like launching a sourcing event when supplier risk climbs. The aim is “seamless” orchestration that blurs departmental boundaries without forcing employees to learn the technology’s guts.
Swaminathan paints a picture where a slim action bar replaces sprawling menus. Casual users answer a couple of questions; power users can still dive deep, but both get contextual guidance from the same engine. He also notes that incumbents with decades of transaction data have an edge over fresh-faced startups—after all, great AI begins and ends with solid data, and no model can make up for an empty lake. It’s a down-to-earth take: a roadmap for turning years of transaction history into faster, smarter everyday decisions without friction. The chat closes with a reminder that tools fade but solid data foundations endure.
