SAS acquires Hazy to boost AI with synthetic data tech

SAS has announced the acquisition of Hazy's synthetic data technology to strengthen its artificial intelligence offerings.

This acquisition, aimed at enriching the SAS data and AI portfolio, is designed to enhance the company's capabilities in synthetic data generation, a critical area as AI usage grows.

Commenting on the acquisition, Jim Goodnight, Chief Executive Officer of SAS, said, "Our acquisition of Hazy's IP represents a pivotal step in our commitment to innovation in the next generation of data management and AI. Hazy is a pioneer in bringing synthetic data to market as a viable enterprise product, and analysts rank it among the top software providers in its category."

"By integrating their technology, we can offer our customers unparalleled opportunities to harness data safely and effectively, enabling them to experiment and model scenarios that were previously out of reach and gain a competitive advantage."

The integration of Hazy's synthetic data expertise is set to position SAS prominently in the realm of data innovation, aiming to create more secure applications of AI. The firm will integrate these capabilities into SAS Viya, a platform it intends to use to further enable customer innovation and overcome issues related to data accessibility or quality.

Kathy Lange, Research Director, AI Software at IDC, highlighted the significance of synthetic data for AI implementation.

"Synthetic data is a game-changer for companies implementing AI solutions, especially in sectors with strict privacy regulations like healthcare and finance. SAS' acquisition highlights the growing requirement for synthetic data as an integral component of a modern AI toolkit, addressing data scarcity and privacy issues, and improving model accuracy while reducing biases."

Synthetic data technology offers users the ability to work with data that reflects real-world patterns, without compromising privacy. The technology mitigates risks and allows for expanded data analytics capabilities. Bryan Harris, Chief Technology Officer of SAS, illustrated the potential impact of synthetic data on the industry: "Analysts predict that by 2026, 75% of businesses will use generative AI to create synthetic customer data, up from less than 5% in 2023. For SAS customers, this marks a strategic leap, solidifying SAS' leadership in AI and analytics. With synthetic data, customers can innovate and research more deeply, accessing data that was previously out of reach due to availability, access or quality issues."

The announcement of this acquisition marks a continuation of SAS's strategic moves in AI and data solutions, following the introduction of SAS Data Maker in early 2024.

With the integration of Hazy's technology, SAS aims to enhance data privacy, improve AI system reliability, quicken development cycles, and reduce data collection costs.

The acquisition's enhanced solutions are expected to be available on a global scale, with an initial preview set for early 2025.