Introducing lightweight, industry-specific AI models for individual licence, SAS hopes to equip organisations with readily deployable AI technology to productionise real-world use cases with unparalleled efficiency.

Chandana Gopal, research director, Future of Intelligence, IDC, said: “SAS is evolving its portfolio to meet wider user needs and capture market share with innovative new offerings,

“An area that is ripe for SAS is productising models built on SAS’ core assets, talent and IP from its wealth of experience working with customers to solve industry problems.”

In today’s market, the consumption of models is primarily focused on large language models (LLMs) for generative AI. In reality, LLMs are a very small part of the modelling needs of real-world production deployments of AI and decision making for businesses. With the new offering, SAS is moving beyond LLMs and delivering industry-proven deterministic AI models for industries that span use cases such as fraud detection, supply chain optimization, entity management, document conversation and health care payment integrity and more.

Unlike traditional AI implementations that can be cumbersome and time-consuming, SAS’ industry-specific models are engineered for quick integration, enabling organisations to operationalise trustworthy AI technology and accelerate the realisation of tangible benefits and trusted results.

Expanding market footprint

Organisations are facing pressure to compete effectively and are looking to AI to gain an edge. At the same time, staffing data science teams has never been more challenging due to AI skills shortages. Consequently, businesses are demanding agility in using AI to solve problems and require flexible AI solutions to quickly drive business outcomes. SAS’ easy-to-use, yet powerful models tuned for the enterprise enable organisations to benefit from a half-century of SAS’ leadership across industries.

Delivering industry models as packaged offerings is one outcome of SAS’ commitment of $1 billion to AIpowered industry solutions. As outlined in the May 2023 announcement, the investment in AI builds on SAS’ decades-long focus on providing packaged solutions to address industry challenges in banking, government, health care and more.

Udo Sglavo, VP for AI and Analytics, SAS, said: “Models are the perfect complement to our existing solutions and SAS Viya platform offerings and cater to diverse business needs across various audiences, ensuring that innovation reaches every corner of our ecosystem. 

“By tailoring our approach to understanding specific industry needs, our frameworks empower businesses to flourish in their distinctive Environments.”

Bringing AI to the masses

SAS is democratising AI by offering out-of-the-box, lightweight AI models – making AI accessible regardless of skill set – starting with an AI assistant for warehouse space optimisation. Leveraging technology like large language models, these assistants cater to nontechnical users, translating interactions into optimised workflows seamlessly and aiding in faster planning decisions.

Sgvalo said: “SAS Models provide organisations with flexible, timely and accessible AI that aligns with industry challenges.

“Whether you’re embarking on your AI journey or seeking to accelerate the expansion of AI across your enterprise, SAS offers unparalleled depth and breadth in addressing your business’s unique needs.”

The first SAS Models are expected to be generally available later this year.

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

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This is according to a study conducted in early 2024 by Coleman Parkes Research and sponsored by data analytics firm SAS, which surveyed 300 US GenAI strategy or data analytics decision makers to pulse check major areas of investment and the hurdles organisations are facing.

Marinela Profi, strategic AI advisor at SAS, said: “Organisations are realising that large language models (LLMs) alone don’t solve business challenges. 

“GenAI should be treated as an ideal contributor to hyper automation and the acceleration of existing processes and systems rather than the new shiny toy that will help organisations realise all their business aspirations. Time spent developing a progressive strategy and investing in technology that offers integration, governance and explainability of LLMs are crucial steps all organisations should take before jumping in with both feet and getting ‘locked in.’”

Organisations are hitting stumbling blocks in four key areas of implementation:

• Increasing trust in data usage and achieving compliance. Only one in 10 organisations has a reliable system in place to measure bias and privacy risk in LLMs. Moreover, 93% of U.S. businesses lack a comprehensive governance framework for GenAI, and the majority are at risk of noncompliance when it comes to regulation.

• Integrating GenAI into existing systems and processes. Organisations reveal they’re experiencing compatibility issues when trying to combine GenAI with their current systems.

• Talent and skills. In-house GenAI is lacking. As HR departments encounter a scarcity of suitable hires, organisational leaders worry they don’t have access to the necessary skills to make the most of their GenAI investment.

• Predicting costs. Leaders cite prohibitive direct and indirect costs associated with using LLMs. Model creators provide a token cost estimate (which organisations now realise is prohibitive). But the costs for private knowledge preparation, training and ModelOps management are lengthy and complex.

Profi added: “It’s going to come down to identifying real-world use cases that deliver the highest value and solve human needs in a sustainable and scalable manner. 

“Through this study, we’re continuing our commitment to helping organisations stay relevant, invest their money wisely and remain resilient. In an era where AI technology evolves almost daily, competitive advantage is highly dependent on the ability to embrace the resiliency rules.”

Details of the study were unveiled today at SAS Innovate in Las Vegas, SAS Software’s AI and analytics conference for business leaders, technical users and SAS partners.

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

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Hyperautomation brings together AI, robotic process automation, and multiple business processes on a cloud platform to help organisations make better decisions more quickly.

“Organisations will require more IT and business process automation as they are forced to accelerate digital transformation plans in a post-COVID-19, digital-first world,” said Fabrizio Biscotti, Research Vice President at Gartner.

Businesses that adopt hyperautomation as part of their digital transformation journeys will gain a competitive edge over rivals.

“We know from our own research that companies are already using hyperautomation to drive efficiency, customer service and innovation,” commented David Shannon, Head of Hyperautomation at SAS UK & Ireland.

However, it seems organisations in some countries are exploring how it could help their business more than others.

For its research, SAS analysed online search data for 24 countries to determine awareness of hyperautomation and where demand seems to be growing fastest.

Here are the top 10 countries for hyperautomation awareness:

The UK is in 12th place with just 1.25 people in every 10,000 searching for hyperautomation. However, that’s still ahead of countries including the US, France, Spain, Italy, and Japan, which were all in the bottom 10 out of the 24 countries analysed by SAS.

Spain and Italy at least make appearances in the list of the 10 countries where search has grown fastest—meaning they’re best placed to push their way into the top 10 for awareness before long.

Here are the 10 countries where search has grown fastest:

With the UK all the way down in 18th place on the list with an increase of 20.4 percent, it’s clear that far more awareness is required for the country to have much chance of becoming a hyperautomation leader.

“While search data can’t tell us everything, it’s a useful barometer to test the mood of nations. Awareness has grown rapidly in some countries in just three years, indicating where demand could be strongest,” added Shannon.

“Automation has enabled businesses of all sizes to transform their operations, and hyperautomation is the next step in the journey. Now is the time for them to build it, and other advanced technological solutions, into their digital strategies.”

(Photo by Josh Redd on Unsplash)

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California and London throughout 2022.

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