Responsible Innovation
A drive to create. A duty to care.
Technology advancements impact our lives, our businesses, our nations and our planet. Creating and consuming technology can unlock human potential, yet also produce harm. As one of the first AI and analytics companies – and now the market leader with the most trusted analytics platform – SAS is committed to working with customers, partners and academia to increase the awareness of, and necessity for, technology that is ethical, equitable and sustainable for individuals and societies.
Our Principles
Technology does not exist in a vacuum. It affects us all in unexpected ways.
Often ethical dilemmas present tensions that are not solved; rather navigated, managed and negotiated in the most productive and least harmful ways feasible. Managing tensions consistently, and in a trustworthy manner, requires an unwavering set of principles rooted in core beliefs and proven, effective strategies.
Human Centricity
Promote human well-being, human agency and equity.
Inclusivity
Ensure accessibility and include diverse perspectives and experiences.
Accountability
Proactively identify and mitigate adverse impacts.
Transparency
Openly communicate intended use, potential risks and how decisions are made.
Robustness
Operate reliably and safely, while enabling mechanisms that assess and manage potential risks throughout a system’s life cycle.
Privacy & Security
Protect the use and application of an individual's data.
Our Approach
Responsible innovation encompasses asking 'should we,' as well as 'could we.'
From the start of ideation, through development and deployment, SAS strives for our principles to be reflected in our people, our processes and our products. With a collaborative governance approach called the QUAD, we focus on Oversight, Platform, Controls and Culture to anticipate, mitigate and avoid unintentional harms, particularly for the most vulnerable.
Our Oversight
Ensures that internal and external AI-enabled technologies and processes adhere to data ethics principles. Advises executive leadership on sales, consulting, product development and procurement opportunities involving AI.
Our Platform
Absorbs and interprets expectations and demand, then develops AI technologies that align with market viability, SAS portfolio synergy, regulatory compliance and data ethics principles.
Our Culture
Cultivates a multidisciplinary ecosystem of creators, contributors and consumers of AI for knowledge sharing, collaboration and the normalization of behaviors and practices aligned with data ethics principles.
Our Controls
Internally monitors, audits and seeks compliance with data ethics principles. Provides organizational checks and balances to identify mitigation needs before AI-related technologies and services are made public.
Explore how SAS delivers AI to promote human ingenuity.
Our vision is a world where data empowers people to thrive. We pursue that vision through trustworthy and responsible innovation.
Reggie Townsend, Director of the SAS Data Ethics Practice
SAS Data Ethics Leader Named to National AI Advisory Committee
Reggie Townsend, Director of the SAS Data Ethics Practice, has been named to the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee. The NAIAC will advise the President and the National AI Initiative Office on a range of issues around the development and use of trustworthy AI.
Resources
To keep the conversations going
Blog
Get insights from SAS CTO Bryan Harris on who is responsible when AI is irresponsible
New Research from SAS
Learn about the impact of increased digitization on the data science field
Webinar
Recognize five considerations for implementing Responsible AI
Blog
Explore overcoming AI bias to empower an equitable society
Blog
Read about Technical Readiness for AI: Q&A with Iain Brown
SAS Data Ethics Practice
A guiding hand for SAS’ responsible innovation efforts, the SAS Data Ethics Practice ensures our platforms, processes and services keep the focus on people, with an “ethical by design” approach throughout product development and market strategy.
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Affordable housing as a human right: Exploring racial inequalities in NYC home loans and home values
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SAS partnered with The Carying Place to uncover the struggles of the hidden homeless right in front of us.
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Amsterdam University Medical Center uses auditable and explainable AI to improve cancer screening.
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SAS and VCU Massey Cancer Center explore disparities in cancer rates and mortality among vulnerable populations.
