SAP, the global enterprise juggernaut, is venturing into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the workplace experience. Their latest creation, known as “Joule,” is set to seamlessly integrate large language models (LLMs) into various aspects of office operations. This includes departments such as finance, human resources, and customer experience. SAP’s aim is for Joule to answer business-related queries in plain language, assist with coding tasks, and even craft concise pieces of text, as the company announced.

While SAP is not the pioneer in this field, it’s joining the ranks of other enterprise software giants. Earlier this year, Salesforce introduced “Einstein GPT” as part of its initiative to infuse generative AI throughout its operations, and Microsoft unveiled a workplace-specific AI tool called “Copilot.” However, with an astonishing 300 million users worldwide, SAP’s foray into AI could have a substantial impact, making AI a common presence in offices of all kinds.

SAP has provided a glimpse into Joule’s capabilities, including helping users understand why certain regions are underperforming in sales by providing supply chain data, generating “unbiased” job descriptions, and assisting with business travel arrangements.

This announcement builds upon SAP’s recent investments in the generative AI domain. In July, SAP made undisclosed investments in LLM providers Aleph Alpha, Anthropic, and Cohere. In May, it also forged partnerships with tech giants like Microsoft, Google Cloud, and IBM. Additionally, SAP-backed Sapphire Ventures has committed to investing $1 billion in enterprise AI startups.

Joule is designed to leverage different language models based on specific use cases and their performance. Stephen Kurily, a spokesperson for SAP, emphasized that customer information will not be used to train the underlying models but may be used to enhance each customer’s AI systems in a secure environment.

The rollout of Joule is scheduled to begin later this year, initially in parts of SAP’s enterprise portfolio, including SAP SuccessFactors solutions and the SAP Start site. In early 2024, it will expand to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, and eventually to other segments of the SAP portfolio. This development marks a significant step toward a more AI-driven workplace, where digital assistants like Joule can streamline tasks and enhance productivity across various industries.