SAS Reimagines Enterprise AI: Pre-Packaged Models Promise Rapid Deployment
- By CDOTrends editors
- April 24, 2024
Data science giant SAS just made a power move that promises to shake up how enterprises deploy AI.
The company is using decades of industry expertise to create a new line of lightweight, industry-specific AI models. Think of them as 'AI-in-a-box,' tuned and ready for the challenges of sectors like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing.
Why the fuss
Don't be fazed by the hyperbole surrounding LLMs and generative AI. Those have their place, but real-world enterprise AI needs are far more specific, and less 'chatty'.
SAS gets this. Their models, a result of their recent USD1 billion investment in industry-focused AI, target use cases like fraud detection, supply chain optimization, and (no surprises here) data integrity.
“SAS is evolving its portfolio to meet wider user needs and capture market share with innovative new offerings,” observed Chandana Gopal, research director for the future of intelligence at IDC. “An area that is ripe for SAS is productizing models built on SAS’ core assets, talent and IP from its wealth of experience working with customers to solve industry problems.”
The models are part of the result of SAS pouring USD1 billion into AI-powered industry solutions, announced in May 2023.
“[SAS] 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,” said Udo Sglavo, vice president for AI and analytics at SAS. “By tailoring our approach to understanding specific industry needs, our frameworks empower businesses to flourish in their distinctive environments.”
Decoding the benefits
Picture these AI models as pre-engineered for fast integration. Forget the protracted, bespoke AI projects that bog down so many companies. SAS's approach prioritizes operationalizing trustworthy, deterministic AI models for measurable results. It moves away from the 'reinvent-the-wheel' ethos that plagues many enterprise AI efforts.
Crucially, this democratizes AI. Think AI assistants (built upon LLM-like tech) for non-coders, translating warehouse management decisions into optimized workflows. It's about bringing AI's power to a broader user base, not just data scientists in their ivory towers.
By bringing AI to the masses, the SAS Models is also helping smaller businesses to sidestep the brutal AI talent war.
“SAS Models provide organizations with flexible, timely and accessible AI that aligns with industry challenges,” said Sglavo. “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.”
For example, SAS’s AI assistant for warehouse space optimization allows nontechnical users to make faster planning decisions by seamlessly translating interactions into optimized workflows.
Expect the first wave of SAS Models to land later this year.
Image credit: iStockphoto/lakshmiprasad S