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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According to a recent report by Harnham, a leading data and analytics recruitment agency in the UK, the demand for ML engineering roles has been steadily rising over the past few years.

Recently, there’s been a shift towards MLOps professionals who possess the skills to bridge the gap between data scientists and data engineers, thereby optimising the deployment of ML models.

Harnham’s report provides comprehensive insights into the salaries and day rates of various data science roles across the UK.

Technical leads/managers in computer vision, data science, deep learning & AI, ML engineering, MLOps, and natural language processing are earning annual base salaries ranging from £44,000 to £120,000, depending on experience and location.

In addition to competitive compensation, data science professionals are seeking specific benefits to enhance their job satisfaction.

The top five desirable benefits include remote working options, bonuses, health insurance, flexible working hours, and shares. These perks play a crucial role in attracting and retaining top talent in the data science sector.

The report also sheds light on some critical trends and statistics in the industry.

25 percent of professionals cited a non-competitive salary/rate as the top reason for leaving a role, followed closely by a lack of career progression (24%) and a “better opportunity” coming along (22%).

The number of female professionals in the field has increased from 22 percent last year, indicating a positive shift towards greater gender diversity in data science.

While the field of data science continues to evolve rapidly, professionals are keen to explore new opportunities.

One finding from the report reveals that data science professionals are the most likely to leave their current roles if the right opportunity arises. The ongoing talent shortage means that relevant expertise is in high demand and many opportunities are available.

Advancements in AI and ML are transforming the landscape and creating exciting new job opportunities. As the demand for data professionals continues to surge, companies must adapt to remain competitive in attracting and retaining top talent in this thriving field.

For more information and in-depth data on data science salaries and trends in the UK, refer to the Harnham Data & AI Salary Guide for 2023.

(Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash)

See also: Universities want to ensure staff and students are ‘AI-literate’

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 event is co-located with Digital Transformation Week.

Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

The post Explosive growth in AI and ML fuels expertise demand appeared first on AI News.

The research, titled AI Skills in the UK, shines a spotlight on some concerning issues.

For its UK report, Microsoft used data from a global AI skills study featuring more than 12,000 people in 20 countries to see how the UK is doing in comparison to the rest of the world.

Most notably, compared to the rest of the world, the UK is seeing a higher failure rate for AI projects. 29 percent of AI ventures launched by UK businesses have generated no commercial value compared to the 19 percent average elsewhere in the world.

35 percent of British business leaders foresee an AI skills gap within two years, while 28 percent believe there already is one (above the global average of 24%).

However, it seems UK businesses aren’t helping to prepare employees with the skills they need. Just 17 percent of British employees have been part of AI reskilling efforts (compared to the global figure of 38 percent.)

Agata Nowakowska, AVP EMEA at Skillsoft, said:

“UK employers will have to address the growing digital skills gap within the workforce to ensure their business is able to fully leverage every digital transformation investment that’s made. With technologies like AI and cloud becoming as commonplace as word processing or email in the workplace, firms will need to ensure employees can use such tools and aren’t apprehensive about using them.

Organisations will need to think holistically about managing reskilling, upskilling and job transitioning. As the war for talent intensifies, employee development and talent pooling will become increasingly vital to building a modern workforce that’s adaptable and flexible. Addressing and easing workplace role transitions will require new training models and approaches that include on-the-job training and opportunities that support and signpost workers to opportunities to upgrade their skills.” 

Currently, a mere 32 percent of British employees feel their workplace is doing enough to prepare them for an AI-enabled future (compared to the global average of 42%)

“The most successful organisations will be the ones that transform both technically and culturally, equipping their people with the skills and knowledge to become the best competitive asset they have,” comments Simon Lambert, Chief Learning Officer for Microsoft UK.

“Human ingenuity is what will make the difference – AI technology alone will not be enough.”

AI brain drain

It’s well-documented that the UK suffers from a “brain drain” problem. The country’s renowned universities – like Oxford and Cambridge – produce globally desirable AI talent, but they’re often swooped up by Silicon Valley giants who are willing to pay much higher salaries than many British firms.

In one example, a senior professor from Imperial College London couldn’t understand why one of her students was not turning up to any classes. Most people wouldn’t pay £9,250 per year in tuition fees and not turn up. The professor called her student to find out why he’d completed three years but wasn’t turning up for his final year. She found that he was offered a six-figure salary at Apple. 

This problem also applies to teachers who are needed to pass their knowledge onto the future generations. Many are lured away from academia to work on groundbreaking projects with almost endless resources, less administrative duties, and be paid handsomely for it too.

Some companies, Microsoft included, have taken measures to address the brain drain problem. After all, a lack of AI talent harms the entire industry.

Dr Chris Bishop, Director of Microsoft’s Research Lab in Cambridge, said:

“One thing we’ve seen over the past few years is: because there are so many opportunities for people with skills in machine learning, particularly in industry, we’ve seen a lot of outflux of top academic talent to industry.

This concerns us because it’s those top academic professors and researchers who are responsible not just for doing research, but also for nurturing the next generation of talent in this field.”

Since 2018, Microsoft has funded a program for training the next generation of data scientists and machine-learning engineers called the Microsoft Research-Cambridge University Machine Learning Initiative.

Microsoft partners with universities to ensure it doesn’t steal talent, allows employees to continue roles in teaching, funds some related PhD scholarships, sends researchers to co-supervise students in universities, and offers paid internships to work alongside teams at Microsoft on projects.

You can find the full AI Skills in the UK report here.

(Photo by William Warby on Unsplash)

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The professional services firm’s analysts predict, in the UK at least, the number of jobs destroyed by AI is likely to be counteracted by the number of roles created.

In fact, over the next 20 years, PwC expects around 7.2 million to be created versus seven million displaced – resulting in a small net jobs growth of around 0.2 million.

Euan Cameron, UK AI leader at PwC, said:

“AI offers a huge potential economic boost to the UK and it’s great to see the government recognise and support the development of the sector through the AI Sector Deal.

People are understandably worried about the impact of AI on jobs, and businesses and the government need to address these concerns head-on. Our research highlights where the biggest impacts will be and which areas are most vulnerable so that businesses and government can plan how best to help people develop the skills that will prepare them for the future.

It’s likely that the fourth industrial revolution will favour those with strong digital skills, as well as capabilities like creativity and teamwork which machines find it harder to replicate.

Historically, rapid technological change has often been associated with increases in wealth and income inequality, so it’s vital that government and business work together to make sure everyone benefits from the positive benefits that AI can bring. These include increased productivity and consumer choice, as well as improved outcomes in those areas that matter most to people such as education to healthcare.”

Many reports until now have taken hardline stances – either AI will drastically alter the jobs market and will require ideas such as UBI (Universal Basic Income) to be considered, or it will simply help to improve the efficiency of existing jobs.

PwC expects certain industries to be ‘winners’ in terms of job growth, while others will lose out.

Winners:

• • Health (+22%)

• • Professional, scientific and technical services (+16%)

• Education (+6%)

Losers:

• • Manufacturing (-25%)

• • Transport and storage (-22%)

• Public administration (-18%)

It’s notable that low-wage jobs are set to lose out the most. This highlights a particular risk to individuals such as factory workers who are most likely to be among the first to be replaced by artificial intelligence.

However, the report notes: “A job being at ‘high risk’ of being automated does not mean that it will definitely be automated, as there could be a range of economic, legal and regulatory and organisational barriers to the adoption of these new technologies.”

John Hawksworth, Chief Economist at PwC, commented:

“Major new technologies, from steam engines to computers, displace some existing jobs but also generate large productivity gains. This reduces prices and increases real income and spending levels, which in turn creates demand for additional workers. Our analysis suggests the same will be true of AI, robots and related technologies, but the distribution of jobs across sectors will shift considerably in the process.

Healthcare is likely to see rising employment as it will be increasingly in demand as society becomes richer and the UK population ages. While some jobs may be displaced, many more are likely to be created as real incomes rise and patients still want the ‘human touch’ from doctors, nurses and other health and social care workers.

On the other hand, as driverless vehicles roll out across the economy and factories and warehouses become increasingly automated, the manufacturing and transportation and storage sectors could see a reduction in employment levels.”

PwC recommends the government invests more in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education to ensure the workforce is prepared for the needs of the future economy, while also increasing the ‘safety net’ for those who struggle to adapt.

Furthermore, the government should implement its AI strategy ‘in full’ to ensure policies support development of the sector and maximise the income effect of the rapidly-advancing technology on jobs in the UK.

The full results can be found in PwC’s UK Economic Outlook July 2018 report which can be found here (PDF)

Do you agree with PwC’s analysis of AI’s impact on the jobs market? Let us know in the comments.

 Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss subjects like this and sharing their use-cases? Attend the co-located AI & Big Data Expo events with upcoming shows in Silicon Valley, London and Amsterdam to learn more. Co-located with the  IoT Tech Expo, Blockchain Expo and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo so you can explore the future of enterprise technology in one place.

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Earlier today, our sister publication Developer reported on the AI skill shortage driving employers to offer six-figure salaries to candidates. Most companies do not like, or can afford, to offer their employees such a high salary.

LinkedIn is in a better situation financially than a startup wanting to delve into AI, especially since the Microsoft acquisition, but it’s taking a different approach to ensuring it doesn’t suffer from a lack of relevant skills.

The company has launched an AI academy which aims to train all of its engineers in the basics of AI. This will ensure its staff can deploy intelligent models in its products wherever it could be of benefit.

“The demand for AI across the company has increased enormously,” Deepak Agarwal, the head of artificial intelligence at LinkedIn, said during an onstage interview at VB Summit 2017 today. “Everyone wants to have AI as a component of their product.” So how do we scale the workforce is a big thing that keeps me up at night.”

Being a social network, there are plenty of opportunities where AI can be used. Just like Facebook, AI can be used from things such as improving contact recommendations, to reducing the amount of spam posted on the site.

“AI is like oxygen at LinkedIn, it permeates every single member experience,” Agarwal said. “And just to give you an idea of the scale, we process more than 2PB of data both nearline and offline every single day.”

So far, six engineers have made it through the academy. Rather than teach how AI works to pursue it as a career, it’s being taught in the context of how to utilise it for the company’s operations.

Should more companies train employees in AI? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

 Interested in hearing industry leaders discuss subjects like this and sharing their use-cases? Attend the co-located AI & Big Data Expo events with upcoming shows in Silicon Valley, London and Amsterdam to learn more. Co-located with the  IoT Tech Expo, Blockchain Expo and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo so you can explore the future of enterprise technology in one place.

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