SAS launches AI Navigator for enterprise governance

SAS has launched AI Navigator on Microsoft Marketplace, a software tool designed to help companies govern their use of artificial intelligence.

The software-as-a-service product is aimed at AI, data, compliance and risk teams that need to track AI use cases, models and agents across an organisation. It gives customers a single view of existing systems, including large language models, AI agents, open-source models and SAS models, without requiring them to change how they build AI.

The launch comes as companies face growing pressure to show that AI systems comply with internal rules and external regulation. SAS cited research conducted with IDC that found organisations with strong trust management are 15 times more likely to report strong returns on AI investment.

The research also highlighted a practical problem for businesses deploying more autonomous systems. Employees often override AI recommendations when they cannot understand or explain how decisions were made, weakening confidence in the technology and limiting its use.

SAS AI Navigator is intended to address that gap by creating an inventory of AI use cases and linking them to governance requirements. The system extends oversight beyond a single application to the underlying model or agent and the policies attached to it.

For companies using customer service chatbots, for example, that could mean governing both the use case itself and the underlying model or agent, such as Claude or Microsoft Copilot. Customers can apply internal policies as well as external regulations and frameworks across those deployments.

Policy packs

The product also includes access to policy packs from partners including Protiviti and Asenion. These are designed to give users pre-prepared compliance guidelines, risk classifications and question sets instead of requiring them to draft governance policies from scratch.

AI Navigator supports the full life cycle of AI oversight, from experimentation and deployment to retirement. It is being offered as a standalone SaaS product for new and existing SAS customers, who will receive free access for six months.

Its launch on Microsoft Marketplace also adds to the long-running partnership between SAS and Microsoft. The software is designed to help organisations manage AI use cases across different environments, including those running on Microsoft Azure.

Healthcare testing

One early tester was Erasmus University Medical Centre in the Netherlands, which worked with SAS and Delft University of Technology on a project called the Responsible Ethical AI in Health Care Lab. The initiative focuses on turning broad ethical principles for AI into practical healthcare tools.

Erasmus MC tested the software in a highly regulated setting where documentation and oversight are central to deployment. Healthcare remains one of the most closely scrutinised sectors as hospitals and researchers consider wider use of AI in clinical and operational work.

"We see real potential in SAS AI Navigator becoming a valuable tool for documenting and governing AI use within a healthcare organization," said Dr. Michel van Genderen, Intensive Care Unit and Internal Medicine Physician and Associate Professor at Erasmus University.

"It's a promising foundation for centralizing AI governance processes. The structure and intent of the tool align with what we believe is needed for policy oversight," van Genderen said.

SAS positioned the product as a response to what many companies describe as AI sprawl, with multiple tools, models and external services spreading across business units faster than formal governance frameworks can keep up. This has become a particular issue for compliance and risk leaders trying to identify where AI is used, who is responsible for it and whether it meets legal and internal standards.

Reggie Townsend, Vice President of SAS AI Ethics, Governance and Social Impact, said the company sees governance as a prerequisite for broader confidence in AI deployment.

"Trustworthy AI doesn't happen by accident. It requires intention, transparency and the right governance structures from the start," Townsend said.

"With SAS AI Navigator, organizations can create the visibility and accountability needed to use AI confidently, responsibly and at scale," he said.

Industry analysts say the governance challenge is growing as businesses adopt more third-party tools and autonomous systems. "Many organizations are struggling with AI sprawl as models, agents and third-party tools proliferate across the enterprise," said Kathy Lange, Research Director of AI, Data and Automation Software at IDC.

"A centralized approach to AI governance like that offered by SAS AI Navigator can help organizations understand what AI they have, how it is being used and whether it aligns with internal policies and external regulations," Lange said.