Mark Hura from Oracle: your advantage with AI lies in your data.

      The usual approach to enterprise AI begins with the model. However, Mark Hura, president of global field operations at Oracle, aims to change that perspective. Speaking at the RAISE Summit in Paris, he argued that the companies succeeding with AI are not simply looking to acquire an AI stack but are instead focused on achieving specific outcomes.

      He provided the example of a hotel group, which manages operations such as property management, guest systems, food and beverage services, staffing, finance, and supply chains. “Their focus isn’t on purchasing an AI stack,” Hura explained. Instead, they are interested in enhancing guest experiences, encouraging repeat bookings, and alleviating staff workload. For them, AI serves as a tool rather than the primary objective.

      Hura supported his claims with specific examples from various industries. In banking, the emphasis is on improving speed for fraud detection. In healthcare, he noted that Oracle’s clinical AI can prepare a patient summary before their visit, compile medical history, and convert conversations into notes by voice. It can also recommend medications, follow-ups, and referrals.

      The ultimate benefit, he posited, is time savings. Patients are able to engage with a doctor who is focused on them, rather than a computer screen. Clinicians gain hours back, allowing them to see more patients and alleviate stress in their demanding roles. In construction and engineering, he stated that AI has streamlined certain processes by 72 percent, with one client reportedly saving over $130,000 annually. In the energy sector, it combines outage information with weather data to forecast failures and deploy crews effectively.

      At the core of Hura’s argument is the notion that data is a significant competitive advantage. He indicated that high-performing models are becoming increasingly common, meaning that the true advantage lies in a company’s proprietary data, which is integrated into those models. According to him, that data represents the essence of intellectual property.

      This argument aligns well with Oracle’s legacy of selling databases for decades. Hura emphasized that Oracle is capable of implementing AI where the data resides, without duplicating or relocating it. This approach minimizes both costs and the risk of data breaches. He framed the vital data secured within Oracle systems as a strategic asset, with partner models integrated to work alongside it.

      Hura’s most pointed insight concerned enterprise strategy. He noted that companies have accumulated complexity over years through mergers and partially transitioned systems, often without any malintent. Simply adding AI from the bottom up in hopes of organic growth can yield efficiency yet risk missing the broader objectives.

      “If you only start from the bottom,” he cautioned, you achieve efficiency but may overlook the industry-specific outcomes like enhanced guest experiences, reduced hospital readmissions, or minimized fraud. He suggested starting with the most significant business challenge, treating it as a directive from top executives, and ensuring that the outcome is quantifiable.

      For a European audience, Hura emphasized the importance of sovereignty. Institutions such as banks, hospitals, and utilities prefer to maintain control over their data, and this definition is constantly evolving. Oracle’s solution involves a singular architecture that accommodates various scales, operating large data centers that manage frontier model training as well as smaller setups within a customer’s premises without sacrificing functionality.

      Hura is, undoubtedly, promoting Oracle’s offerings. The assertion that a company’s data represents a competitive edge, and should remain within Oracle’s existing infrastructure, benefits the company well. However, the focus on outcome-first resonates particularly at this time, as many enterprise AI initiatives have stalled between demonstration and actual deployment. Hura believes that only those initiatives tied to specific business objectives will emerge successfully.