David Pontoppidan | SAP and Deliberate AI | Episode #58

In this episode of The Only Constant, Lasse Rindom speaks with David Pontoppidan, Head of Business AI for Nordics & Baltics at SAP - a mind as sharp as the systems he builds. The conversation dives into how SAP is embedding AI across its enterprise suite, not just as a bolt-on, but as part of a deeply integrated, multi-agent architecture. Together, they explore:

• Whether AI in ERP is truly transformation - or just lipstick on a pig
• How SAP's knowledge graph and semantic data layers redefine what agents can actually do
• The tension between standardization and customization in AI-powered enterprise processes
• Why slow decision-making isn’t always bad - and sometimes necessary
• The philosophical and political implications of AI, from entropy to biopolitics, norms, and truth
• How jazz, entropy, and citizen developers all make surprising cameos in the future of enterprise tech

This one goes deep - from practical ERP use cases to Foucault, Habermas, and the nature of truth in AI governance. A must-listen for anyone trying to steer technology in a world where we need to define not only what we can do - but what we won’t do. 

Do you want to know more about David Pontoppidan:
David Pontoppidan is the Head of Business AI for SAP across the Nordics & Baltics, guiding some of the world’s leading organisations to turn AI investments into hard-currency value. Known for his sharp analogies and the occasional pop culture reference, David helps executives trade “Artificial Ignorance” for data-driven decisions that actually move the P&L. 

A former army language officer turned management-consultant-turned-tech strategist and executive, David blends his background in behavioural economics and sociology with deep business insight as he completes an Executive MBA in Finance at Copenhagen Business School.