SAS Introduces New AI and Data Tools on Viya Platform

On June 9, 2025 SAS, a global leader in data and AI, has announced new features and updates for its SAS Viya® platform.

SAS Viya is a powerful cloud-based platform that helps companies analyze data, make smarter decisions, and build AI solutions.

It is used by organizations across industries like healthcare, finance, retail, and government.

Now, SAS Viya new enhancements are designed to make it easier for businesses to analyze data, use artificial intelligence (AI), and make smarter decisions faster.

New Features on SAS Viya

SAS Data Maker

• Creates safe, synthetic (fake but realistic) data for testing and training.
• Solves problems like data privacy and lack of real data.
• It is available to all users in Q3 2025.

SAS Viya Intelligent Decisioning

• Allows businesses to build smart AI agents that automate decision-making.
• Offers a balance between AI automation and human control for complex tasks.

Viya Essentials (Managed Cloud Services)

• A simpler, ready-to-use version of SAS Viya in the cloud.
• Designed especially for small and mid-sized businesses.
• It provides a quick, affordable way to access powerful data tools.

SAS Viya Copilot

• A smart AI assistant inside Viya platform.
• It helps with coding, building models, and business tasks.
• It is Powered by Microsoft Azure AI.
• It is currently in private preview, full release in Q3 2025.

SAS Viya Workbench

• A cloud-based workspace for developers and data scientists.
• it supports SAS, Python, and now R programming languages.
• It compatible with tools like VS Code, Jupyter Notebook, and SAS Enterprise Guide.

This feature is available on Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

What’s Else Is New on Viya?

SAS has also added several platform-wide upgrades to boost performance, usability, and security:

• Smarter AI Tools: New machine learning and generative AI capabilities to automate tasks, improve predictions, and speed up decision-making.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): The platform can now understand and analyze text better, including emails, social media posts, and customer feedback.
• Data Management Upgrades:  Better tools for organizing and cleaning data, which helps ensure more accurate insights.
• Faster Performance: Enhanced computing speed and scalability for working with large data sets in real time.
• Stronger Integration: Compatibility with other popular platforms and programming languages like Python, R, and open-source tools.
• Stronger Governance and Security: Improved features to protect data privacy and ensure compliance with regulations.

Why These Upgrades Matters

With these upgrades, SAS Viya helps users at all levels – from business analysts to expert data scientists – work more efficiently.

The platform allows:

• Developers to build custom AI models
• Businesses to use ready-made AI solutions
• Teams to collaborate across departments
• This makes it easier and faster for organizations to find value in their data and stay ahead in today’s fast-moving world.
• The new features are now available on the SAS Viya platform and can be used on public cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, or on private servers.