AI Adoption Accelerates Across Australia and New Zealand, Says SAP
Artificial intelligence is no longer on the sidelines for Australian businesses – it’s becoming part of their everyday operations. From finance teams to supply chain management, AI is changing how organisations run, make decisions, and deliver value to customers.
At the SAP NOW AI Tour Australia & New Zealand, SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) shared the top five AI applications currently being used by its Australian and New Zealand customers. Based on usage data from May 2024 to May 2025, these are:
Automatically generating expenses from receipt images
Processing invoices without manual input
Checking expenses for compliance
Providing real-time alerts on supply chain issues
Using predictive analytics for sales demand forecasting
“My conversations with CEOs are increasingly revealing how they are looking to embed AI into some of the most fundamental parts of their business,” said Angela Colantuono, Managing Director, SAP Australia. “These applications are helping Australian organisations make faster, smarter decisions, reduce risk and unlock new value. But to fully realise AI’s potential, we need to invest just as much in people as we do in technology.”
Event keynote speaker Dr Catriona Wallace, AI Ethics Expert and Founder of the Responsible Metaverse Alliance, cautioned that responsible use must keep pace with adoption. “AI is the number one existential risk we face today. Yet only a small fraction of Australian organisations are equipped to use it responsibly. If we want AI to drive innovation, productivity and public trust, we must move beyond ambition to action. That means embedding responsible AI frameworks that are transparent, ethical and human-centred, and doing it now, before the gap between use and governance becomes too wide to close.”
Real-world examples of AI adoption
Across industries, SAP customers and partners are making progress in AI and cloud transformation.
La Trobe University is the first university in the ANZ region to go live with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition through the GROW with SAP program. This move has modernised core functions including Finance, Procurement, Logistics, Sales, R&D Engineering, and Real Estate. The university now has a stronger foundation for innovation, including AI-powered automation and analytics.
“This transformation is a major step forward in how we operate,” said Shainal Kavar, Chief Information Officer, La Trobe University. “It’s helping us simplify complexity, streamline processes, improve reporting and decision-making and free up our people to focus on higher-value work. Most importantly, it sets us up to embrace innovation and unlock the potential of AI in the years ahead.”
Lion, one of the largest brewers in Australia and New Zealand, is advancing its cloud-first strategy with RISE with SAP on AWS. By adopting a clean core approach – minimising customisations to its ERP – and implementing SAP’s Business Technology Platform, Lion has accelerated its order-to-cash process, expanded digital channels, and given teams access to real-time insights. In partnership with SAP, Lion also developed ‘Joey’, an AI beer recommendation tool, in under 10 days.
“AI is helping us move faster, make smarter decisions, and deliver better customer experiences,” said Ram Kalyanasundaram, Group Technology and Digital Transformation Director at Lion. “It’s not just about automation, it’s about enabling our teams to focus on what matters and giving them the tools to innovate. SAP’s AI capabilities have been a game-changer in how we think, operate and grow.”
Empowering women in AI leadership
SAP also announced the return of its AI Intrepid Women Tour in January 2026 – a four-day executive study program aimed at supporting female leaders in building AI expertise and strategic vision.
Following the success of the 2025 program, next year’s tour will connect leading Australian female technology executives with SAP’s global innovation hubs to explore AI’s latest developments.
“Less than 15% of senior AI executives are women today,” said Colantuono. “Last year’s program proved that when you bring female leaders together to build AI literacy and share experiences, the impact is extraordinary – not just for their businesses, but for the future of innovation in Australia.”