LONDON
Artificial intelligence (AI) will “deeply integrate into all aspects of business and society” in the future, “driving innovation, efficiency, and new business models,” the chief AI officer of the European software firm SAP told Anadolu.
Philipp Herzig, who is also member of the Extended Board of the firm, stated that AI transforms industries by automating certain processes and boosting efficiency.
Herzig highlighted that AI enhances the “decision-making efficiency” of businesses, for instance, in the manufacturing sector. “AI-driven solutions … can optimize production lines and enable predictive maintenance, which means higher productivity and less downtime,” noting that SAP offers AI-powered solutions to its customers.
“In the finance sector, AI helps enhance fraud detection and risk management, making financial operations more secure and reliable,” he said.
“AI is changing the job landscape by automating routine tasks and creating new opportunities in areas like AI development, data science, and cybersecurity -- while some roles might be displaced, new positions will emerge that require human creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence,” he said. “Industries such as technology and finance are expected to see a surge in AI-related jobs as they adopt and integrate AI solutions into their operations.”
AI ‘saves 85% of time to write sustainability reports’
Herzig stated that AI has become “virtual team members” and they can solve “multi-step tasks … faster and more efficiently.”
“In the medium and long term, we see a future where AI is deeply integrated into all aspects of business and society, driving innovation, efficiency and new business models,” he said. “This future will likely feature more personalized and intelligent services, enhanced human-machine collaboration, and a greater focus on ethical and responsible AI use.”
Herzig emphasized that AI can play a key role in sustainability solutions, enabling carbon footprint calculations to be made more quickly and accurately, “down to the individual product level,” thereby saving “85% of time to write sustainability reports.”
“This is just the beginning -- by applying AI to integrated sustainability data, companies will not only be able to automate complex, time-consuming tasks but also mitigate risks, set data-driven strategies and identify clear correlations between sustainability metrics and financial performance,” he said.
SAP investments in ‘robust data management solutions’
Herzig stated that the firm launched the “SAP Business Data Cloud” to accelerate the use of AI in businesses by making investments in “robust data management solutions,” and that the firm has created “a culture of innovation, encouraging everyone to embrace AI-driven transformations.”
He noted that the firm also created “comprehensive ethical guidelines and governance frameworks to ensure responsible AI deployment across all business processes” to equip businesses with a “competitive edge.”
Currently, 87% of global trade runs on SAP systems, as the firm stands out as Europe’s largest tech company in market cap. SAP is also the highest-grossing non-US software firm and the largest in Germany.
