Generative AI in Oracle Applications

In a recent blog, I talked about Generative AI in the form of AI natural language queries being made available for E-Business Suite (EBS) and the excitement that’s building among users.

A few months ago, I heard concerns that the introduction of Generative AI into EBS may mean that people are less likely to move to Oracle Fusion. Was Generative AI and Fusion Cloud a game changer and the tipping point for many organizations to want to move? And is adding it to EBS changing that? I disagree. The two types of AI are completely different.

AI in Oracle E-Business Suite

The Generative AI being added to EBS is the ability to create SQL in a conversational way—AI natural language queries—to allow you to return information from your system. What Oracle have done in EBS is to enable it to work with Select AI and to generate queries so that you can have a conversation with your data.

AI in Oracle Fusion Cloud

With Fusion, the Generative AI or AI agents are creating new content. Things like summarizing feedback or generating job specifications in HCM, or giving us a narrative on figures in ERP. Over a hundred have already been added to Fusion Cloud and continue with each update.

Looking under the hood

Fusion Cloud-embedded Generative AI needs a technology stack that supports it. Oracle uses the analogy that building a sports car to replace a horse and cart is of no value unless roads are upgraded from a dirt track.

Fusion Cloud was built to take the best from EBS and the other on-premises applications to create the next generation of applications. But even Fusion Cloud is 11 years old, and some of the technology has been replaced recently, with the introduction of Visual Builder as Redwood to support emerging technology.

This will not happen in EBS. The technology behind EBS cannot support natively the Generative AI technology used in Fusion Cloud. You would need to rewrite EBS. But that’s already been done with Fusion Cloud.

In this diagram from Oracle, you can see they are embedding AI in some modern applications such as Fusion, but for EBS we have to move down a layer and use the AI available in the services layer.

So what’s next?

Do I think that Generative AI is that final push to move to Fusion Cloud? Perhaps. All new technology needs use cases and Oracle is doing a fantastic job of identifying them and listening to customers about where Generative AI has value.

Changing systems happens when organizations reach a tipping point. It may be AI. It may be processes. It may be functionality. My advice is to monitor what your organization needs against what Fusion Cloud has to offer. Many organizations are doing this and a significant number that attend Oracle CloudWorld events around the world are EBS, or Hyperion, or JD Edwards or PeopleSoft customers, looking at the functionality that’s being added. They have no set date for moving but are keeping an eye on where things are going and looking for their tipping point.

When I speak to customers, AI maturity ranges from those that don't really know AI to those who use it in every part of the organization, have their own secure version of ChatGPT etc.

Generative AI technology is amazing, and its uses are limited only by our imagination. Oracle has taken a bold path to deliver many different scenarios, but in a controlled and safe way that deals with all the concerns around the introduction of Generative AI.  

In my next blog, I'll be discussing ensuring you get business value from Generative AI in EBS. 

If you think you’re reaching a tipping point, or want advice on where Oracle AI is relevant to your business, speak to the Oracle AI experts at Inoapps.

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