SAS debuts tool for assessing generative AI adoption levels

SAS has launched a new benchmarking tool to facilitate the adoption of generative AI (GenAI) by businesses in the UK and globally.

As the tool is named, the GenAI Maturity Assessment swiftly enables firms to ascertain their position in the GenAI adoption landscape. By responding to a series of multiple-choice questions, businesses receive a profile indicating whether they are observers (behind the curve), explorers (on the curve), or leaders (ahead of the curve) in the GenAI adoption spectrum.

In addition to categorising firms, the tool provides a bespoke report that includes insights into competitor activities with GenAI and suggested subsequent steps for firms. It also highlights key considerations for the responsible implementation of GenAI technologies.

The initiative draws on a comprehensive global study on GenAI adoption conducted by Coleman Parkes at SAS's request. The study, which involved responses from 1,600 firms in various countries, including the US, UK, and China, provides a detailed analysis of industry-specific adoption patterns in sectors such as banking, government, and manufacturing.

Dr Iain Brown, Head of Data Science at SAS, commented on the current state of GenAI adoption: "We are at an important inflection point, where the barrier to entry into the GenAI market is lowering, making it significantly easier for organisations to adopt and scale GenAI. So we are going to see many organisations enter into that 'observer' position as they are eager to discover what they can achieve with GenAI."

He elaborated on the necessity for clear guidance in the deployment of GenAI frameworks, stating, "Many organisations are currently uncertain about how to navigate their GenAI journey. We need to help them understand their starting point and the steps required to move forward, ensuring they adopt the technology effectively and responsibly."

Dr Brown also addressed the need for critical evaluations concerning the data and governance structures accompanying AI implementations: "Excited to use LLMs? That's great, but have you considered the data that powers them, the governance required, and how to seamlessly integrate them into your business processes? These are critical conversations every organisation adopting GenAI should be having, and we hope our benchmarking tool will help ignite them."

He emphasised the importance of maintaining high-quality data to avoid issues like biased AI performance and erroneous outputs: "None of the advancements organisations seek with GenAI are possible without accurate, high-quality data—and nearly every organisation faces data challenges. That's why it's crucial to follow a robust framework, ensuring data is enriched and refined to prevent poor AI performance, bias, and misleading outputs, often referred to as 'hallucinations.'"

The tool forms part of SAS's broader commitment to assist organisations worldwide in deploying GenAI through SAS Viya, its cloud-native AI and analytics platform. This platform supports integration with language models, offering tools for data management, model development, and governance.

Roderick Crawford, Senior Vice President at SAS Northern Europe, outlined the role of benchmarking in lifting industry standards: "Businesses are investing a lot of money in GenAI projects and have large budgets set aside, so they need to fully understand how to spend it to get the most value from their adoption."

"We believe this benchmarking tool is a great way to get markets talking, to allow organisations to fully understand their position and what their challenges are. When we all innovate together, that is when real progress can be made and we hope our benchmarking tool will be used to ensure effective and responsible use of GenAI."

The assessment comprises eight multiple-choice questions designed to help organisations determine their positioning in relation to key GenAI maturity metrics.