According to SAP Hungary's CEO, Szabolcs Pintér, artificial intelligence (AI) will become virtually invisible in our lives and business processes by 2025. He emphasizes the importance of effective data management, utilization of modern systems, and seamless collaboration between humans and AI for successful integration.
SAP predicts five key themes that will likely reshape the business world in the realm of AI:
AI Agents: Currently in their early stages of development, AI agents are expected to become more autonomous by 2025. They will be capable of independent planning, situation assessment, tool usage, decision-making, and consistent responses to processes, ensuring their actions align with their assigned goals. These agents will be able to collaborate with humans and other AI systems.
Collaborative AI Systems: AI will not be limited to single tasks but will evolve into systems composed of multiple agents, working together to solve complex problems as a team.
Proactive AI: These systems will proactively respond to business events, such as incoming customer inquiries or supply chain disruptions, automatically preparing decision-making processes for human users.
Generative AI: Large Language Models (LLMs) are becoming increasingly accessible for general generative AI tasks. However, SAP highlights that the effectiveness of AI models depends not on the sheer volume of data but on its accuracy and relevance. Models capable of handling multiple input types - text, images, and audio - simultaneously will become prevalent. Companies should focus on fine-tuning and adapting their models to their unique, content-rich data sources, enhancing generative AI performance and reducing the likelihood of erroneous inferences.
AI Integration: AI will transition from an experimental technology to a crucial element in everyday business processes, including customer management, supply chain management, and data analysis. Data integration will become paramount: companies must ensure the reliability and relevance of their data, as AI model performance heavily relies on the quality of the data they process. Companies need to implement modern data management systems to fully leverage AI's potential.
SAP envisions a shift from traditional software and static software functionalities to "outcome-based services" that focus on achieving process goals. This means companies will offer not just software products but services that deliver tangible business results for their clients.
AI is no longer confined to the background but increasingly directly influences how we interact with technology. The future lies in seamlessly integrating people, data, and processes to enhance business outcomes. By 2025, AI adoption in the workforce is expected to rise as people recognize the benefits of collaborating with AI. AI will enable natural language communication with systems, simplifying work. It will complement, not replace, human work.
Combining human strategic and creative thinking with AI's analytical capabilities opens new possibilities for innovation and productivity. By 2025, the boundaries between applications and software will blur, with AI acting as a comprehensive solution, integrating data, processes, and users. AI-powered applications will create a new user interface for interacting with systems, making software more accessible and user-friendly.
The advancement of AI presents new challenges for regulation. AI-related regulatory frameworks are becoming more complex, and by 2025, diverse guidelines and legislation are likely to emerge globally. Companies must ensure their AI systems operate safely, ethically, and responsibly, implementing innovations while adhering to ethical norms and legal requirements, contributing to the secure development of artificial intelligence. SAP's long-term vision suggests that regulatory debates will shift from technical details to a focus on human values and the shared future of AI.