Oracle adds generative AI features to finance, supply chain software

Oracle on Thursday said it is adding generative artificial intelligence features across its corporate software lineup, intensifying competition with Microsoft and other technology firms to sell the technology to businesses customers. Oracle's cloud-based software offerings are central to many businesses in running their finances, supply chains and human resources departments, and the Austin, Texas-based company said that the new features are designed to save time for those people by generating reports, summarizing complicated data or drafting job descriptions, among other tasks. For Oracle, a late comer to the cloud computing market, the features are a core part of its efforts to catch up to corporate software rivals such as Microsoft, which is also trying to woo business with its "Copilot" AI features. Unlike consumer apps such as ChatGPT where users simply type requests directly to a chatbot, Oracle has identified about 50 different features where the AI system has been tuned to handle specific tasks, such as writing up a product description in a catalog based off data in a company inventory system, or summarizing a long chain of back-and-forth price negotiations with a supplier.