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SAP Joins Stanford University’s AI Program to Foster Responsible AI Development


04 July, 2024

In the latest AI news, SAP SE (NYSE: SAP), a global leader in business process and technology has announced its partnership with Stanford University’s Human-Centered Intelligence (HAI) Corporate Affiliate Program. This collaboration is aimed at advancing research, policy, and education efforts to responsibly develop and implement artificial intelligence (AI).

The primary focus of this partnership is to explore the potential of generative AI in the business landscape and its transformative impact on industries and economies. Generative AI, which includes AI images generator and AI text generator tools, is being seen as a revolutionary technology that can optimize and simplify business processes.

Juergen Mueller, Chief Technology Officer and member of the Executive Board of SAP SE, emphasized the importance of developing AI with relevance, reliability, and responsibility as guiding principles. He stated, “Generative AI holds a plethora of opportunities for business optimization. As we witness rapid evolution in AI, it’s crucial to ensure its development aligns with these three principles.”

SAP’s association with Stanford’s HAI Corporate Affiliate Program further strengthens its commitment to creating best-in-class business AI that is ethical and trustworthy. This partnership will also facilitate a continuous dialogue on the latest AI research, thereby contributing to SAP’s development of its foundational model and business-ready AI tools for global companies.

With over half a century of expertise in business processes and technology, SAP has been instrumental in turning AI’s potential into reality for many leading companies worldwide. Their collaborations span across various sectors including finance, supply chain, human resources, sustainability, and other critical business areas.

James Landay, Vice Director and Faculty Director of Research for HAI, Stanford, acknowledged the pivotal role played by Stanford’s HAI in speeding up advancements in foundational models, especially regarding AI safety and societal impacts. He expressed anticipation for the collaboration with SAP to unlock new use cases and contribute to new research.

This partnership also provides an opportunity for SAP’s researchers and engineers to engage with Stanford’s academic community, including research faculty and students, on the intersection of generative AI and business. This interaction is expected to benefit the broader technology and business community.

Panos Madamopoulos, Managing Director, Industry Programs and Partnerships, HAI Corporate Affiliate Program, highlighted the significance of Stanford’s HAI mission to inform and influence the direction of industry’s fundamental research and enhance the human-centeredness of applied AI. He expressed excitement to work with SAP in building foundational AI models with a human-centric approach.

The collaboration is expected to foster research collaborations across SAP’s entire AI stack — from development, evaluations, safety to understanding the economic impact and enhancing productivity. In addition, it will also help in the creation of AI video generators, which are becoming increasingly important in today’s digital age.

This partnership between SAP and Stanford’s HAI Corporate Affiliate Program signifies a significant step towards the responsible development and implementation of AI. It not only fosters collaboration between academia and industry but also contributes to the broader technology and business community. This move is expected to bring about significant advancements in generative AI and its application in business, thereby transforming industries and economies.