Latest news with #ReggieTownsend
Business Standard
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
New SAS AI governance resources offer clarity and confidence at crucial AI moment
VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 19: As AI accelerates the pace and proliferation of innovation, the need for AI governance has never been more urgent. Lack of visibility into AI governance puts trust, compliance and successful AI deployments at risk. To help organizations confidently navigate their AI governance journeys, SAS has launched the AI Governance Map, a comprehensive resource that helps organizations assess their current AI governance maturity in four essential areas and chart the path forward. The map is the latest addition to a growing portfolio of AI governance offerings from SAS designed to meet organizations 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 organizations build a full AI governance life cycle. "We take a pragmatic approach to AI governance, recognizing that different organizations 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 organizations 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 organizations navigate their AI journeys confidently. Organizations interested in a private preview of the solution later this year can sign up here: Plotting an AI governance journey begins with knowing where you are With decades of governance experience, SAS is a trusted guide to organizations on their AI governance journeys. Beginning with an online assessment, the new SAS AI Governance Map pinpoints where an organization is on their AI governance path and provides a customized report and tailored action plan for next steps. The report also benchmarks the organization 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, organizations 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. Organizations 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 customized to the maturity of each respondent, is available. 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 organizations. 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@ The announcement was made at SAS Innovate, the data and AI experience for business leaders, technical users and SAS Partners. This year's event is supported by our partner sponsors, including Microsoft, Intel and AWS. Keep up with the latest news from SAS by visiting or follow us on LinkedIn or X. About SAS SAS is a global leader in data and AI. With SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright (c) 2024 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.
Arabian Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
AI Governance Gains Momentum as SAS Champions Ethical Innovation
SAS has intensified its focus on ethical artificial intelligence by unveiling a suite of governance tools and strategic partnerships aimed at fostering responsible innovation across industries, with a particular emphasis on healthcare. At the SAS Innovate 2025 event in Orlando, the company highlighted its commitment to transparency, accountability, and trust in AI deployment. Reggie Townsend, Vice President of Data Ethics at SAS, underscored the importance of proactive governance in AI development. He introduced the concept of 'response-ability,' advocating for leaders to anticipate and mitigate potential harms associated with AI systems. Townsend emphasized that biased AI outcomes often reflect existing societal and organizational biases, necessitating a collective responsibility among industry, government, academia, and civil society to address these challenges. A significant development in SAS's ethical AI initiatives is the launch of the Responsible and Ethical AI in Healthcare Lab , a collaboration with Erasmus University Medical Center and Delft University of Technology. The lab aims to establish frameworks ensuring AI applications in healthcare are transparent, unbiased, and aligned with patient safety and privacy standards. Michel van Genderen, an internist-intensivist at Erasmus MC, highlighted the lab's efforts in creating registries to track AI model deployments and ensure adherence to ethical guidelines. SAS has also introduced AI agents designed for customizable human-AI interactions, promoting transparent decision-making processes. These agents are part of SAS's strategy to develop 'agentic AI' systems that operate with minimal human oversight while maintaining ethical standards. In addition to technological advancements, SAS has rolled out model cards—akin to 'nutrition labels' for AI models—that provide insights into model performance, fairness, and potential biases. These cards aim to enhance transparency and facilitate regulatory compliance by offering detailed information on model usage, limitations, and governance. See also Saudi Arabia's Strategy to Tackle OPEC+ Compliance Issues To support organizations in implementing responsible AI practices, SAS has launched the AI Governance Advisory service. This initiative offers guidance on integrating ethical considerations into AI strategies, with benefits including improved accountability, enhanced trust, and increased competitive advantage. Marek Wilczewski, Chief Data Officer at PZU Insurance, noted that the advisory service helped the company identify potential risks and align AI projects with ethical standards. The company's efforts extend to global collaborations, such as its partnership with Emirates Health Services in the UAE. Mubaraka Ibrahim, Chief AI Officer at Emirates Health Services, shared that the organization has developed over 40 predictive analytics models to improve patient outcomes and reduce provider burnout, demonstrating the practical benefits of ethical AI deployment in healthcare.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New SAS AI governance resources offer clarity and confidence at crucial AI moment
AI Governance Map and online assessment illuminate the path to robust AI governance ORLANDO, Fla., May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- SAS INNOVATE -- As AI accelerates the pace and proliferation of innovation, the need for AI governance has never been more urgent. Lack of visibility into AI governance puts trust, compliance and successful AI deployments at risk. To help organizations confidently navigate their AI governance journeys, SAS has launched the AI Governance Map, a comprehensive resource that helps organizations assess their current AI governance maturity in four essential areas and chart the path forward. The SAS AI Governance Map and assessment are among the new and planned additions to a growing portfolio of AI governance offerings from SAS designed to meet organizations where they are in their AI maturity. The map is the latest addition to a growing portfolio of AI governance offerings from SAS designed to meet organizations 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 organizations build a full AI governance life cycle. "We take a pragmatic approach to AI governance, recognizing that different organizations 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 organizations 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.
Techday NZ
07-05-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
SAS unveils AI Governance Map to boost trust & innovation
SAS has introduced the AI Governance Map and an online assessment intended to help organisations evaluate and improve the maturity of their artificial intelligence governance processes. The AI Governance Map is designed to support businesses in identifying their current status in the areas of oversight, compliance, operations and culture related to AI governance. SAS states that the map and assessment generate tailored reports and recommendations to guide organisations through the necessary steps for robust AI governance. The new resources are part of SAS's growing portfolio of AI governance offerings. These solutions are intended to integrate with existing technology investments and cover the full AI governance life cycle, from data governance and model monitoring to regulatory compliance management. Reggie Townsend, Vice President, SAS Data Ethics Practice, said: "We take a pragmatic approach to AI governance, recognising that different organisations are at varying points in their AI governance efforts. 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." SAS's governance capabilities have received recognition from several industry analysts. Chartis named SAS a category leader in its RiskTech Quadrant for Model Risk Management Solutions report for the eleventh consecutive year. The report noted SAS's "forward-thinking approach to managing models across traditional and emerging domains," and highlighted the company's "advanced capabilities in ModelOps, SecurityOps, DevOps, orchestration and big data management." Chartis emphasised that SAS's 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." Within highly regulated sectors, organisations may already have established compliance measures but encounter additional needs when implementing AI systems. To address these needs, SAS provides an AI governance solution for banking, underpinned by SAS Model Risk Management. The company also indicated that further industry solutions are in development. SAS plans to launch a comprehensive AI governance solution capable of aggregating, orchestrating and monitoring AI systems, models and agents. The forthcoming product is intended to align AI workflows with organisational policies and to support both executive roles and data scientists by improving operational efficiency and helping organisations navigate the complexities of AI adoption. The process of plotting an AI governance journey with SAS typically begins with an online assessment. This assessment identifies where an organisation stands on the governance path and delivers a bespoke report with action plans tailored to the organisation's unique situation. The report also provides benchmarking information, comparing the organisation's performance in key domains to industry peers. Steven Tiell, SAS Global Head of AI Governance Advisory, said: "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. 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." SAS believes that embedding strong governance practices within AI initiatives can serve as a differentiator by fostering long-term trust among consumers, stakeholders and markets. By proactively addressing risks such as bias, fairness and compliance, organisations may also accelerate innovation cycles and reduce operational uncertainty. The company draws upon decades of experience in data technologies and regulatory navigation, incorporating these insights into the AI Governance Map and assessment. The process provides high-level recommendations, along with detailed reports that include actions tailored to an organisation's maturity in AI governance. The AI Governance Map forms part of the SAS AI Governance Advisory service, which includes individualised guidance, strategic advice and access to a network of experts. The service begins with a meeting to discuss AI governance in the organisational context and aims to empower clients to build trustworthy and effective AI frameworks.
