The latest version of the SAP AI Ethics Handbook is the one-stop shop for applying the SAP Global AI Ethics policy and creating ethical AI solutions that support our commitment to deliver relevant, reliable, and responsible AI.

The updated handbook now contains information about generative and other types of AI and how to apply SAP’s updated ethical AI guiding principles. Here is a brief introduction to the handbook and how you can use it to apply SAP’s AI ethics policy to your work.

Who Is the Target Audience for This Handbook?

In a nutshell – everyone developing and implementing AI.

This handbook is for everyone who wants to give users confidence in the SAP AI ethics processes and confidence that humans are at the core of SAP’s AI processes. In short, it’s for everyone who wants help create a human-centered AI culture. Specifically, principles 1-7 apply to teams creating AI solutions, while principles 8-10 apply to governance teams.

The handbook explains how human-centered AI is achieved with tools like user research, design thinking, and user stories. These tools help create products that are closely aligned to the needs of SAP’s target groups, increasing benefits and mitigating the risk of unintended harm in SAP AI use cases.

What Is an AI Use Case at SAP?

An AI use case means that the AI system is built either on symbolic AI, traditional/narrow AI, or generative AI. This handbook is applicable to all three types of AI use cases.

How Do You Determine an AI Use Case?

In the handbook, there is an ideation checklist that guides you through the process to determine the type of use case – red line, high-risk, or standard. The handbook also has detailed checklists for validation, realization, productization, and operation.

What Is a Red Line Use Case?

Red line cases are AI use cases that are prohibited because they undermine personal freedom, undermine society, and/or cause intentional damage to the environment.

What Is High-Risk Use Case?

An AI use case that meets one of the high-risk criteria listed below is a high-risk use case:

• Personal data is processed.
• Sensitive personal data is processed.
• It could negatively affect the well-being of individuals or groups, such as social, safety, financial, and/or physical harm.
• It has automated decision-making.
• It is a high-risk sector, like HR, healthcare, law enforcement, or democratic processes.

What Happens with High-Risk Use Cases?

The use case classification is checked by the SAP Global AI Ethics organization. If the organization agrees that the high-risk classification is correct, the SAP Global AI Ethics steering committee will review the case and recommend what, if any, further action needs to be taken.

Additional Information

Information about AI ethics is available at:

• SAP AI Ethics Handbook
• SAP Global AI Ethics policy
• Responsible AI at SAP

Guiding Principles That Resonate

Hear what guiding principles resonate the most with some of our in-house AI ethics experts:

“The guiding principle Safety and Security resonates with me because it covers everything that we need to take care of: AI security to ensure our systems are robust and work as designed and AI safety for protecting individuals, society, and the environment from harm done by AI systems. The guiding principle Transparency and Explainability resonates with me because it describes critical prerequisites to ensure human oversight – for humans on the loop like technical experts as well as humans in the loop such as business experts. Additionally, my cognitive scientist self is intrigued by the challenge to make AI output understandable for humans.”

– Bettina Laugwitz, Director, AI Ethics & Responsible AI

“The guiding principle Fairness and Non-Discrimination resonates with me because I believe this is currently the biggest gap in the development of AI and the reason why AI has the potential to harm human rights. Many AI scandals to date have been violations of this principle, including discrimination against women in finances and HR, to name but a few. AI cannot grow without the co-creation of, for example, minorities, the Global South, and women. The guiding principle Sustainability may be my biggest concern about AI, but it is also our biggest innovation possibility. Indigenous rights, co-creation, protection, and understanding how to protect fragile ecosystems parallel to the exploration and development of AI is crucial. SAP has the potential to explore how to become ‘green’ on this topic. This principle should be a priority for designing for future generations.”

– Camila Lombana Diaz, AI Ethics Expert and Researcher

“I am convinced the guiding principle Responsibility and Accountability gets to the heart of something very important: no matter how human AI appears to us, it cannot and should not be held morally accountable for its actions. AI is built and used by humans – and therefore responsibility and liability for all decisions and actions taken by AI must be assigned to human actors in order to ensure effective protection for those affected by AI. The guiding principle Fairness and Non-Discrimination in the development of AI makes a significant contribution to protecting human rights; it is difficult, however, to standardize processes to ensure fairness and many case-by-case decisions need to be made, which can be a challenge for those developing AI. Nevertheless, compliance with this principle is non-negotiable, which is why I am committed to supporting developers building fair AI.”

– Saskia Welsch, AI Ethics and Responsible AI Team Member

Alexa MacDonald is a senior editor for SAP News.

When it comes to customer experience (CX), brands must invest in an end-to-end, industry-specific platform that is informed by data. These deep connections enable business AI to come to life and ensure the agility and flexibility to innovate based on consumer demand and market needs.

That is why SAP is always developing new partnerships and integrations to continue providing value to CX customers. 

The integration between SAP Order Management Services and ChannelEngine, a global leader in marketplace integration and management software, is the next step in this journey.

By leveraging SAP Order Management Services, a central hub for unified customer transactions, and incorporating AI-enhanced integrations, ChannelEngine is enabling merchants to augment the order and inventory management process for third-party marketplace selling. This enables merchants to automate and optimize third-party marketplace operations, increasing their revenue and profitability. 

What does this mean for SAP customers?

“Our direct integration allows SAP Order Management Services users to seamlessly activate over 950 new sales channels and reach international markets,” said Jorrit Steinz, CEO of ChannelEngine. “By incorporating AI-driven automation into our platform, we’ve taken a pivotal step toward simplifying global unified e-commerce. This collaboration enables merchants to harness the immense potential of third-party online marketplaces, driving efficiency and scaling opportunities while capitalizing on the built-in trust and vast customer base of these platforms.” 

By having a centralized view of e-commerce operations across first- and third-party channels through reporting, analytics, and insights into sales performance and marketplace KPIs, merchants can target consumers with precision and drive customer loyalty. Additionally, this integration enables merchants to streamline their e-commerce operations, accelerate time-to-market, and participate in a broader range of marketplaces. 

Analysts also understand this need to align inventory management and marketplace connectivity due to an increasingly fragmented e-commerce environment.

“The fusion of order management technology with third-party marketplace integration solutions marks a strategic move for enterprises seeking to optimize operational efficiency and expand their market presence,” explained Heather Hershey, Research Director for IDC. “This approach enables businesses to manage complex sales channels while leveraging the advantages of AI-driven insights to better meet customer demands.” 

The ChannelEngine marketplace integration platform is now available on SAP Store, the online marketplace for SAP and partner offerings.

Ritu Bhargava is president and chief product Officer of SAP CX and Industries.