As artificial intelligence continues to evolve at breakneck speed, it’s reshaping not just products, but the very roles of those who create them. SAP’s VP of AI Experiences, Jennifer Aue, shares candid thoughts on how AI is transforming design at every level—from individual skills to enterprise-wide strategy.

AI as the New Design Partner

AI will become ubiquitous within all design roles. It’s not a matter of if, but how deeply AI will embed itself in the daily workflow of designers. What’s at stake is the quality and speed of our thinking—how quickly we research, prototype, and deliver. Designers are now expected to ground their points of view in data and research, not just intuition. AI helps accelerate those cycles, but it also raises the bar.

From Fragmented Features to Holistic Journeys

SAP’s early foray into AI, through 2024, involved building custom AI models and standalone features. But the company has since shifted focus. Now, we’re integrating more than 20 large language models (LLMs). These aren’t just fancy chatbots—they’re tools that enable global collaboration, adapt to regulatory complexity, and offer conversational insights at scale.

This shift enables SAP’s teams to design from a journey-first perspective. Rather than sprinkling AI features across products, the goal is to weave intelligent, consistent UX across hundreds of enterprise applications. We’re moving from isolated use cases to enriching the full user journey with AI. The result: better context, better outcomes, and more trust in AI-enabled systems.

What Can’t AI Replace?

Despite the growing power of AI, critical thinking remains irreplaceable. AI can process vast amounts of data—but it can’t interpret cultural, ethical, or strategic implications the way humans can. Designers who excel in the future will be those who question, synthesize, and guide the direction of AI—not just use it.

Becoming AI-Native

So how can designers reposition themselves in this new landscape? Use AI. Play with it. Build with it. That means going beyond prompts. Become a low-code creator. Experiment with agent design. Dive into the UX that exists between conversation and transaction. The more you explore, the more ideas you’ll generate—and the more uniquely valuable you become.

Advice for the Next Generation

Early-career designers should focus on philosophy, art history, futurist literature. These disciplines train the mind to think beyond the moment and into the long arc of human impact. Read, watch, listen—and most importantly, form your own perspective on how AI should serve us over the next 300 years.

At SAP and beyond, AI is not replacing designers—it’s redefining what it means to be one. The opportunity is immense, but it requires curiosity, courage, and a vision for something greater than automation: meaningful, responsible progress.

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