SAS signs European Commission’s AI Pact

Global data and AI leader SAS has signed the European Commission's AI Pact, joining more than 130 companies accelerating adoption of the European Union AI Act's principles within their organizations. The pledge encourages companies to advance AI governance, identify high-risk AI systems and promote AI literacy, which are all requirements of the Act.

These efforts align with the SAS commitment to responsible innovation and are already well underway, according to Reggie Townsend, Vice President, Data Ethics, SAS.

"As a nearly 50-year-old data and AI company, SAS has wrestled with the ethical implications of many powerful technologies," said Townsend. "Our experience, culture and technology enabled us to quickly begin moving towards compliance with AI regulations. We look forward to collaborating with the organizations that share this commitment."

Collaborating to help shape the future of trustworthy AI

AI Pact signatories will provide updates on their progress and can test and share their solutions with the wider community to share best practices and build trust in AI systems. This collaborative effort is reflective of SAS' approach to AI.

Around the world, SAS works with regulators, policy makers and like-minded companies to help shape AI laws and policies, including consulting with the EU and EU member states to inform policies and the legislative process related to trustworthy AI. This includes working with the Swedish Institute for Standards on the development of the harmonized standards for the EU AI Act.

In the US, SAS collaborates with other committed organizations including the National Institute of Standards and Technology's U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium, EqualAI, the Business Roundtable and other groups. Additionally, SAS joined the Commonwealth AI Consortium, which includes global tech firms, research institutions, nonprofits and at least six Commonwealth member countries that have stepped forward to champion AI innovation and AI literacy.