The map is the latest addition to a growing portfolio of AI governance offerings from SAS designed to meet organisations where they are in their AI maturity. From data governance to model monitoring to compliance management, SAS has technologies to complement existing technology investments to help organisations build a full AI governance life cycle.

“We take a pragmatic approach to AI governance, recognising that different organisations are at varying points in their AI governance efforts,” said Reggie Townsend, Vice President, SAS Data Ethics Practice. “Instead of ripping and replacing something that’s working well, we can fill in the gaps to provide a more comprehensive AI governance system that strengthens trust in AI-driven decisions, simplifies operations and future-proofs AI strategies.”

End-to-end governance capabilities heralded by analysts

Industry analysts like IDC and Forrester have validated SAS’ governance capabilities and, for the 11th straight year, Chartis named SAS a category leader in its RiskTech Quadrant for Model Risk Management Solutions, 2024 report. SAS received top marks among all vendors for model governance solutions.

In its vendor analysis, Chartis said SAS demonstrates “a forward-thinking approach to managing models across traditional and emerging domains,” addressing both classical aspects of governance that rely on domain knowledge and the demands of AI and generative AI governance, including “advanced capabilities in ModelOps, SecurityOps, DevOps, orchestration and big data management.”

Chartis also noted, “SAS’ market potential is further amplified by its ability to offer end-to-end solutions. These solutions cover the life cycle, from initial development to ongoing validation, and align with existing infrastructures.”

New AI governance solutions on the way

In highly regulated industries, many organisations already have robust governance measures in place to meet compliance requirements but have additional AI governance needs. To help these customers, SAS offers an AI governance solution for banking, with the analyst-validated SAS Model Risk Management as its foundation. Additionally, SAS has other industry solutions in development.

SAS will soon launch a unified, holistic AI governance solution capable of aggregating, orchestrating and monitoring AI systems, models and agents. Designed for the executive, but useful enough for the data scientist, this offering will align AI with policies, improve operational efficiencies and help organisations navigate their AI journeys confidently.

Organisations interested in a private preview of the solution later this year can sign up here: https://www.sas.com/en_za/solutions/ai/governance.html.

Plotting an AI governance journey begins with knowing where you are

With decades of governance experience, SAS is a trusted guide to organisations on their AI governance journeys. Beginning with an online assessment, the new SAS AI Governance Map pinpoints where an organisation is on their AI governance path and provides a customised report and tailored action plan for next steps. The report also benchmarks the organisation compared to industry peers within the crucial domains of oversight, compliance, operations and culture.

“AI governance is not just an exercise in risk management; it’s a strategic enabler of faster innovation and helps to ensure that AI is trustworthy,” said Steven Tiell, SAS Global Head of AI Governance Advisory. “At its core, AI governance should be viewed not just as a protective measure, but as a driver of growth. To forge ahead, organisations need to identify where the real opportunities lie – and understand how they stack up against their peers.”

Strong AI governance can be a key differentiator in building long-term trust with consumers, stakeholders and markets. Organisations that embed governance into their innovation cycles can move faster with confidence, knowing they are proactively addressing risks related to bias, fairness and regulatory compliance.

SAS has extensive experience developing and deploying new, powerful data technologies and navigating the associated regulations, risks and opportunities. This wisdom helped inform the governance map and online assessment, which generates tailored, high-level recommendations. A detailed report, including recommended actions customised to the maturity of each respondent, is available.

Take the assessment and accelerate your AI governance journey here:

https://www.sas.com/en/offers/ai-governance-assessment.html.

The AI Governance Map is the latest offering from SAS AI Governance Advisory, a value-added service for customers. Beginning with a short meeting, SAS AI Governance Advisory helps customers think through what AI governance means in the context of their organisations. It empowers them to lead with trustworthy AI, advises on strategy and tactics, tailors AI governance tools to specific business needs and offers access to a network of experts and peers.

Reach out to SAS AI Governance Advisory for guidance in your AI governance journey at AIGovernance@sas.com.

This announcement was made at SAS Innovate, the data and AI experience for business leaders, technical users and SAS Partners. This year’s event was supported by our partner sponsors, including Microsoft, Intel and AWS.

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