SAP NOW AI Tour: Data+AI+Platform: The Rise of Intelligent Applications with SAP Business Data Cloud

The session on “The Rise of Intelligent Applications with SAP Business Data Cloud” highlighted how data underpins every step of AI and intelligent application success. Niclas Schlautkoetter (Global Head of Strategic Architecture Advisory, SAP Business Data Cloud, SAP) outlined SAP’s vision for addressing the challenges of hybrid architectures and complex integration, while Shaun Black (General Manager Digital Architecture and Strategy, Energy Queensland) shared practical lessons from Energy Queensland’s transformation journey.Both spoke about how customers are increasingly operating in hybrid environments, combining SAP and non-SAP solutions across hyperscalers, which introduces integration and usability challenges for AI. BDC innovations such as Data Products (semantically rich, pre-built datasets), support for both analytics and pro-code engineering, and a clear BW modernisation path simplify adoption and accelerate insights.Energy Queensland’s story illustrated this in action: from implementing SuccessFactors, S/4HANA, Ariba, BTP, and SAC to modernising legacy systems with Datasphere and adopting Databricks as their core Lakehouse. Their shift from “collecting data to connecting data” redefined their architecture, moving from traditional warehouses (likened to rigid “mix tapes”) to flexible data fabrics.The business impact is already tangible, from improved forecasting to smarter network planning with granular smart meter data, such as analysing electric vehicle populations. Looking ahead, both speakers stressed that AI adoption must continuously evolve with technology, supported by strong guardrails and responsible usage policies. Ultimately, AI will become commoditised—so embedded in business processes that it simply disappears into the fabric of work.