At its annual customer conference in Seoul, SAS showcased how organizations across various sectors—from finance to sports—are leveraging artificial intelligence for competitive advantage.

During the opening keynote, SAS Korea CEO Jung Hyuk emphasized that while technology evolves rapidly, human decision-making remains paramount. He noted that today’s businesses face increasing complexity from economic uncertainty, regulatory changes, and rising customer expectations. ‘What companies need are clear decision-making capabilities—not just temporary trends,’ Jung stated.

The conference featured a keynote by SAS APAC CTO Deepak Ramanaidan, who explored the theme of ‘Human Ingenuity + AI.’ He argued that we’re facing not an ‘AI replacement dilemma’ but a trust challenge in human expertise. ‘AI should extend our capabilities—our observation skills and judgment—not replace them,’ Ramanaidan explained.

Key highlights from SAS’s product announcements:

  • SAS Viya Copilot: An AI assistant embedded within the analytics platform that enables natural language data exploration, model development, and management
  • SAS Agentic AI Accelerator: A framework for building and deploying AI agents with enterprise-grade security and governance
  • SAS SpeedyStore: A cloud-native data platform that allows analysis directly from storage locations
  • SAS Data Maker: Generates synthetic data while preserving privacy regulations, enabling broader model training datasets

Real-world applications showcased:

  • Scotiabank (Canada) uses SAS Model Risk Manager to govern over 3,000 models across the enterprise
  • Dompé (pharmaceuticals) accelerated drug discovery with SAS Viya’s continuous integration capabilities
  • AGEA (EU agriculture agency) reduced fraud in subsidy distribution using SAS AI-powered analytics
  • Liverpool FC personalized fan experiences through data-driven marketing automation

Deepak Ramanaidan emphasized the importance of responsible AI innovation. ‘As AI becomes more integral to decision-making, we need robust governance frameworks to ensure accuracy and prevent compounding errors,’ he said.

The conference underscored SAS’s commitment to providing trusted AI solutions that extend human capabilities rather than replace them—helping organizations navigate today’s complex business landscape with confidence.