SAS enhances Viya platform with AI agents and synthetic data tools

At its Innovate conference, SAS announced a series of enhancements to its Viya platform, targeting both developers and end users with new AI-driven tools. The updates aim to democratize AI through improved usability and built-in governance.

Key Enhancements

• SAS Data Maker: A synthetic data generator now enhanced with multi-table and time series data capabilities, leveraging technology from Hazy. Expected to be generally available in Q3 2024.
• SAS Viya Intelligent Decisioning: A low-code/no-code tool for building and deploying AI agents, now available. It balances AI autonomy with human oversight, ideal for tasks like mortgage application vetting.
• SAS Viya Copilot: An AI-driven conversational assistant built on Microsoft Azure AI Services, currently in private preview. It accelerates analytical tasks and will be generally available in Q3.
• SAS Viya Workbench: Now supports R language coding and SAS Enterprise Guide as an optional IDE, available on Microsoft Azure Marketplace and AWS Marketplace.

Prebuilt AI Models

SAS introduced six custom AI models for specific industries:

• AI-driven Entity Resolution and Document Analysis (cross-industry)
• Medication Adherence Risk (healthcare)
• Strategic Supply Chain Optimization (manufacturing)
• Payment Integrity for Food Assistance and Tax Compliance for Sales Tax (public sector)

Four additional models will launch later in 2024, including Fraud Decisioning for Payments and Worker Safety Monitoring.

Governance Focus

SAS emphasized AI governance with new tools:

• AI Governance Map: Assesses maturity in oversight, compliance, operations, and culture.
• Upcoming unified AI governance solution for executives to monitor AI systems holistically.

"In the race to innovate with AI, many organizations put speed above control," noted Abhishek Punjani of Info-Tech Research Group. "SAS is leading the shift toward responsible AI with built-in governance."

Industry Impact

Robert Kramer of Moor Insights & Strategy highlighted the practical benefits: "These updates may not be groundbreaking, but they offer faster onboarding and secure AI development, crucial for regulated industries."

SAS VP Udo Sglavo added: "Our models let companies with data science teams focus on strategic questions, while others can see AI’s impact from day one."

Final Thoughts

SAS’s latest innovations reflect a growing focus on control and accountability in AI, reshaping how enterprises adopt and integrate these technologies.