Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword. Today, AI is changing the way we write emails, talk to our phones, and even how businesses work. One of the coolest parts of AI is something called Generative AI, and behind this magic, there’s something called an LLM or Large Language Model.
This blog is here to help you understand:
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What is an LLM?
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What is Generative AI?
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What is Ollama?
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What is SAP Generative AI Hub?
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How are Ollama and SAP Gen AI Hub different?
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How can you, even as a beginner, learn AI using Ollama if you can’t access SAP’s tools yet?
Let’s dive in!
What is an LLM (Large Language Model)?
An LLM or Large Language Model is a special kind of computer program that can understand and generate human-like language. It’s trained using tons of text from books, websites, chats, articles, and more.
Here’s a simple way to understand it:
Imagine you read a million books. After that, someone asks you to write a story or answer a question. Because you’ve read so much, you’d probably write something meaningful and smart. That’s what an LLM does, it reads huge amounts of text, and then tries to generate smart, human-like responses.
Examples of LLMs:
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ChatGPT (by OpenAI)
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LLaMA (by Meta)
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Mistral
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Claude (by Anthropic)
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Gemini (by Google)
These models are used to write emails, answer questions, translate languages, write code, and much more!
What is Generative AI?
Generative AI is a type of AI that can create things, like writing stories, drawing images, composing music, or writing code, from simple instructions.
For example:
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You type: “Write a poem about rain.”
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Generative AI replies with: "The rain falls soft, the earth feels peace, In every drop, a sweet release."
It doesn’t copy the poem from the internet, it actually generates it by understanding patterns and predicting what should come next based on its training.
Generative AI is used in:
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Chatbots
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Virtual assistants
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SAP systems
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Customer service
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Content creation
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Business decision-making
What is Ollama?
Ollama is a tool that helps you run LLMs like LLaMA on your own computer, without needing the internet or expensive cloud services. It’s completely open-source and free to use.
Why is Ollama useful?
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You can download and run language models locally.
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You don’t need to pay for cloud models like OpenAI or Google.
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It’s private and secure, everything runs on your machine.
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You can fine-tune or customize the models using your own data.
How do you use it?
You just install it on your computer, pick a model (like LLaMA), and start chatting with it using simple commands.
It’s perfect for:
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Students
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AI enthusiasts
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SAP consultants who want to learn how LLMs work
What is SAP Generative AI Hub?
SAP Generative AI Hub is a platform by SAP that lets you connect powerful AI models with SAP systems (like S/4HANA, SuccessFactors, etc.). It’s mainly for businesses who want to use AI in a safe, structured, and efficient way.
You don’t build your own model here. Instead, you:
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Pick an existing model (OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, LLaMA, etc.)
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Add your company’s data (called Grounding)
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Set up rules using Orchestration Workflows
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Use it in your business apps
What makes SAP Gen AI Hub special?
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It’s integrated with SAP systems
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It supports grounding (feeding AI with your business-specific data)
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It has built-in input/output filtering for safety
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You don’t need deep AI skills to use it
It’s designed for enterprise use, not personal projects.
Comparing Ollama vs. SAP Generative AI Hub
| Feature | Ollama | SAP Generative AI Hub |
|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Individuals, learners, developers | Businesses and enterprises |
| Cost | Free, open-source | Enterprise pricing (can be costly) |
| Setup | Local installation | Cloud-based setup via SAP BTP |
| Model Access | Run LLMs on your own machine | Use hosted models (OpenAI, Azure, etc.) |
| Customization | Fine-tune with your own data | Grounding with business context |
| Integration | Standalone or custom app | Deep SAP system integration |
| Privacy | Fully local, private | Managed cloud platform |
| Learning Use Case | Great for hands-on LLM practice | Great for enterprise deployment experience |
Summary:
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Ollama = Best for learning, experimenting, and personal projects
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SAP Gen AI Hub = Best for deploying real AI features into SAP business systems
For SAP Consultants: How to Learn Without Paying for Gen AI Hub
Let’s be honest, SAP BTP and Gen AI Hub can be expensive, especially if you’re a student or freelancer. But here’s how you can still learn AI and prepare yourself for future SAP AI projects:
Use Ollama for Hands-On Practice
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Install Ollama
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Run LLaMA or Mistral models locally
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Feed them with your own sample documents
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Try grounding-like techniques by retrieving relevant text from your data before prompting the LLM
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Build small apps (web, Python, Node.js) to connect with the model
Learn Prompt Engineering
Master how to write good prompts. Even in SAP Gen AI Hub, good prompts are key.
Simulate Orchestration
Create your own mini orchestration workflow:
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Step 1: Clean input
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Step 2: Filter content
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Step 3: Fetch relevant data
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Step 4: Send prompt to model
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Step 5: Return the result
You can simulate this flow with Python scripts or simple apps.
Try SAP BTP Free Tier
SAP BTP has a free tier! Use it to:
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Learn CAP (Cloud Application Programming)
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Try connecting with LLMs via APIs
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Understand the ecosystem
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a PhD or a fancy subscription to start learning Generative AI. Tools like Ollama let you practice and understand how LLMs work. Once you're comfortable, you’ll find it much easier to transition to enterprise-grade platforms like SAP Generative AI Hub.
So whether you're a school student, a curious SAP consultant, or a techie exploring the future, the AI journey is open for you. Just start small, stay consistent, and keep building.
Bonus Tip:
Use sites like huggingface.co, ollama.com, and OpenAI playground to explore LLMs. You’ll be surprised how fun and powerful this world is!
Stay curious, the future of tech is in your hands.
