Hazy Acquisition Enhances SAS’s Generative AI Suite with Synthetic Data Tools

SAS has made a strategic move by acquiring Hazy’s intellectual property, a pivotal development designed to enhance its data and AI portfolio. This acquisition focuses on providing critical synthetic data generation capabilities, which will support SAS customers as they navigate the rapidly growing and evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. With AI becoming an increasingly integral part of business operations, the ability to generate synthetic data has become crucial for overcoming challenges related to data availability, quality, and privacy. By integrating Hazy’s synthetic data technology into its solutions, SAS is positioning itself at the forefront of data innovation, empowering organizations to innovate and create more robust and secure AI applications.

Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS, shared his enthusiasm for the acquisition, highlighting that the integration of Hazy’s pioneering synthetic data capabilities marks a significant step forward in SAS’ mission to lead the next generation of data management and AI. Goodnight emphasized that Hazy is a leader in bringing synthetic data to the enterprise market and that integrating this technology will provide SAS customers with unique opportunities to leverage data in new and impactful ways. He also pointed out that these advancements would enable customers to experiment with and model scenarios that were previously out of reach due to data limitations, opening the door for greater innovation and competitive advantage.

This acquisition enhances SAS’ ability to serve customers in a wide range of industries, equipping them with more secure and effective AI tools. By integrating Hazy’s synthetic data capabilities, SAS will provide its customers with solutions that help overcome barriers to data access and availability. This move also positions SAS for deeper integration with its flagship platform, SAS® Viya®, enabling AI applications to reach new levels of sophistication and reliability. The addition of synthetic data capabilities is seen as a game-changer in making AI more secure, robust, and scalable.

The concept of synthetic data has become increasingly important, particularly in industries that operate under strict privacy and regulatory requirements, such as healthcare and finance. Kathy Lange, Research Director for AI Software at IDC, recognized synthetic data as a “game-changer” in AI implementation. She explained that it helps companies overcome significant data challenges by improving model accuracy, addressing privacy concerns, and reducing biases. Synthetic data mirrors the statistical properties of real data without revealing private or identifiable information, enabling organizations to perform deep analytics and model building without risking exposure to sensitive data. This technology not only protects privacy but also enhances the scope of data available for research and analysis.

SAS’ acquisition of Hazy addresses these growing needs by providing organizations with access to richer datasets, which will be crucial for developing more reliable and diverse AI models. Bryan Harris, CTO of SAS, pointed out the rapid growth of synthetic data usage, with predictions that by 2026, 75% of businesses will use generative AI to create synthetic customer data. This marks a significant shift from just 5% in 2023, highlighting the increasing reliance on synthetic data as businesses seek to leverage AI more effectively. The integration of Hazy’s technology ensures that SAS customers can access data previously unavailable due to challenges related to data availability, access, or quality.

SAS is also enhancing its existing offerings, particularly with the introduction of SAS Data Maker in early 2024, which generates synthetic data that statistically represents original datasets while maintaining privacy. By integrating Hazy’s technology, SAS Data Maker becomes an even more powerful tool, enabling organizations to simulate various future scenarios. This integration provides several key benefits to SAS customers, including enhanced innovation and research, faster time-to-market for AI projects, more trustworthy AI systems, and increased data privacy and security. Moreover, organizations can save costs by reducing their reliance on expensive and time-consuming data collection processes.

The solutions resulting from this acquisition will be made available globally, with a preview expected in early 2025. By incorporating synthetic data into its portfolio, SAS is taking a major step in shaping the future of AI and analytics. This acquisition will enable organizations to innovate more freely, reduce risks associated with data privacy, and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of their AI systems. Ultimately, it positions SAS as a leader in the AI and data management space, providing businesses with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly data-driven world.