How Joule for Developers and ABAP AI Capabilities Transform the Developer Experience

In February 2025, SAP introduced Joule for developers and ABAP AI capabilities, ushering in a new era for ABAP development. This powerful integration of generative AI into the development environment is helping to revolutionize how developers interact with SAP systems. Designed to enable smarter, faster, and more intuitive coding, these tools help developers elevate both productivity and innovation.

Joule for developers leverages a purpose-built large language model (LLM) trained on millions of lines of SAP code. It can deliver contextual, ABAP-specific results that support tasks ranging from intelligent code suggestions to automated unit test creation. As customers continue their SAP S/4HANA transformations, these AI features can also support optimized code migration through smart analysis, explanations, and actionable suggestions. The result: AI becomes a collaborative partner that helps developers tackle complex challenges with confidence and efficiency.

IDC's recent white paper, "ABAP Development in the Age of AI", outlines how AI is transforming modern development. One key finding: 80% of developers reported increased productivity when using AI coding assistants, with an average productivity gain of 35%. The top-used features include unit test generation, code generation, and autocompletion-clear signs that AI is now a central pillar of the development experience.

To succeed in this evolving landscape, developers must cultivate new skills. These include writing precise natural language prompts, verifying AI-generated code, integrating proprietary data for improved AI context, and using AI to enhance requirements documentation. These capabilities ensure AI remains an intelligent collaborator that upholds enterprise-grade standards.

SAP Build solutions and ABAP Cloud can further empower developers by enabling automation, improved security, and scalable collaboration-all while supporting a clean core strategy. These tools reflect SAP's commitment to intelligent extensibility that balances innovation with system integrity.

AI is no longer just a futuristic concept-it's a vital asset shaping every phase of the software development life cycle. Developers are evolving from code writers to orchestrators of intelligent systems that learn, adapt, and co-create. Joule for developers and ABAP AI capabilities illustrate how SAP is leading this evolution by providing tools that are aligned with enterprise development needs and future-ready innovation.

To learn more, explore the IDC white paper, "ABAP Development in the Age of AI."

Sonja Lienard is senior vice president of Product Marketing and head of SAP BTP ABAP at SAP.