I watched a CTO last month lose their mind over an AI recommendation system. The AI was right 87% of the time. But nobody could explain why it flagged certain transactions.
Guess what happened? They ripped it out.
This is exactly why NetSuite Next – Oracle's self-proclaimed biggest release in nearly three decades – might actually be onto something. At SuiteWorld 2025, Evan Goldberg and team unveiled an explainable, role-aware AI platform that embeds intelligence directly into ERP workflows. No black boxes. No mysterious recommendations.
The Anti-ChatGPT Play
<> Industry observers highlight the importance of explainable AI and governance in building trust, noting NetSuite's approach to embedding AI within existing roles and permissions as a key differentiator./>
While everyone else races to shove LLMs into every corner of their products, NetSuite is playing a different game. Their SuiteCloud Platform expansion includes:
- AI Connector Service: Securely connects external AI models via Model Context Protocol
- SuiteAgents Framework: Build custom AI agents that run natively inside NetSuite
- AI Studios: Let admins manage AI prompts and outputs with surgical precision
- AI Toolkits: APIs for reasoning, document processing, narrative generation
The 8,000 customers and partners who showed up in Las Vegas weren't just getting AI features. They were getting governable AI.
Why This Actually Matters
Here's what's smart about NetSuite's approach: they're not trying to replace humans with AI. They're making humans superhuman within existing workflows.
Take Autonomous Close. Instead of some mystical AI that "does your books," it's targeted automation for specific financial processes. Intelligent Payment Automation with BILL doesn't revolutionize payments – it just removes the tedious parts.
This is AI for CFOs who need to explain their numbers to boards. For operations managers who can't afford black box failures in supply chains.
The technical foundation is solid too. Running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure with the Oracle AI Database gives them the scale and observability that enterprise customers actually need. The new AI SuiteApp Marketplace with certification badges creates a quality-controlled ecosystem – no more Wild West of random AI integrations.
The Partner Bet
What really caught my attention: NetSuite is betting heavily on their partner ecosystem. The AI certification program and native SuiteApp development tools suggest they're positioning themselves as the platform where others build AI solutions.
Smart move.
Instead of trying to solve every industry-specific problem, they're building the plumbing. Let specialized partners create the AI workflows for manufacturing, retail, or professional services.
The Reality Check
But here's the thing analysts are whispering: realizing ROI from these AI capabilities will require disciplined data management and change management over the next 12 to 18 months.
Translation: This isn't plug-and-play magic. You still need clean data. You still need process discipline. You still need humans who understand what the AI is actually doing.
The companies that succeed will be those that view AI as workflow enhancement, not workflow replacement. NetSuite's role-aware approach aligns perfectly with this reality.
My Bet
NetSuite's "glass box" strategy will outperform the black box approaches dominating the market. CFOs and operations leaders want AI they can explain, not AI that explains itself. The combination of explainable intelligence, enterprise-grade infrastructure, and a quality-controlled partner ecosystem creates sustainable competitive advantage in the midmarket ERP space. The real test comes in 18 months when these features hit general availability.
