Oracle plants agentic AI flag in business process automation
Oracle has made a move in the field of business process automation by introducing agentic AI technology. This new development aims to enhance efficiency and streamline operations for businesses. By incorporating AI into their processes, Oracle hopes to revolutionize the way organizations handle automation. The introduction of agentic AI technology could pave the way for more advanced and intelligent automation solutions in the future.
Oracle has put forward its AI Agent Studio as a platform for orchestrating artificial intelligence (AI) agents and teams of agents. The supplier announced the development at its OracleCloud World Tour London event at the end of last week. Steve Miranda, executive vice-president of Oracle Applications Development, told Computer Weekly ahead of the event that AI Agent Studio is part of an ongoing, quarter-by-quarter unfolding of the supplier’s particular approach to artificial intelligence for business process improvement.
Other suppliers will have their narratives, based on their own capacities. Oracle's approach is based on combining data, applications, and virtual agents with a sales automation and customer experience orientation, minimizing “do it yourself” AI. Oracle’s cloud covers all business applications, from enterprise resource planning (ERP) through to customer experience. Its AI use cases and agents can now be orchestrated to go across all of those business disciplines.
AI Use Cases and Agents
In 2023, Oracle introduced large language model-based use cases – 50 initially, now grown to around 100. These use cases are embedded where text could be used, such as report summarizations and job descriptions. Oracle also introduced 50 AI agents embedded in the applications, automating tactical steps within a process, like a benefits agent, a supply chain optimizer in shipping, an accounts payable agent, and others. The next step is to orchestrate these agents as teams, enabling processes like recruiting, interviewing candidates, follow-ups, and making offers.
Companies can modify prebuilt agents, change logic, remove steps, or integrate with third-party services for specific needs. This extensibility is built on the OCI infrastructure, providing a unique capability.
Agent Extensibility
Agent extensibility allows users to modify and extend the pre-packaged Oracle Fusion Applications AI agents by adding documents, tools, prompts, or APIs to address their specific industry and business needs. The studio offers a choice of Large Language Models (LLMs) optimized for Oracle Fusion Applications or external industry-specific LLMs for specialized use cases.
Oracle's partner network has shown enthusiasm for this AI move. Lan Guan, chief AI officer at Accenture, noted that AI-powered innovation is transforming processes and driving performance. Mauro Schiavon, global chief commercial officer at Oracle Business and principal at Deloitte Consulting, emphasized the importance of managing and measuring the impact of digital workers.
Analyst Support
Analysts also support Oracle's approach. Holger Mueller, vice-president and principal analyst at Constellation Research, praised Oracle's AI strategy, emphasizing the need for customization to fit unique business needs. Mickey North Rizza, group vice-president at IDC, highlighted Oracle's efforts to enable customers and partners to leverage agents effectively.
Oracle's continuous development in AI aims to help customers automate their business practices. Miranda emphasized that AI agents and Studio will be a significant step in process automation, allowing customers to focus on improving their products and sales.