SAS AI Navigator Launches as SaaS Platform for AI Governance

SAS AI Navigator, a new Software-as-a-Service platform, will help organizations manage and govern artificial intelligence use cases when it becomes available in Q3 2026 on Microsoft Azure Marketplace. The solution addresses growing challenges as enterprises struggle to track AI implementations and ensure compliance with regulations.

The platform enables AI, data, compliance and risk leaders to compile a complete inventory of AI assets and align AI use cases with government regulations and internal policies. SAS AI Navigator accepts any model or agent, whether built in-house, purchased from third parties, or developed using open source tools.

According to a study by SAS and IDC on trust in artificial intelligence, AI agent and large language model use is outpacing trustworthy AI investments. Gartner predicts that by 2030, more than 40 percent of enterprises will experience security or compliance incidents tied to unauthorized shadow AI.

How SAS AI Navigator Works

Organizations do not need to change how they build artificial intelligence systems. SAS AI Navigator offers a unified view of whatever models and tools organizations already use, including large language models, AI agents, and open source or SAS models. The platform supports the full journey from experimentation to deployment through retirement.

The governance capabilities extend to the models and agents that power use cases, as well as policies applied to them. For example, companies using chatbots to interact with customers can govern the underlying agent or model and apply policies to ensure regulatory compliance. Users can perform model risk management, model interpretability, bias detection and mitigation, and data masking.

SAS AI Navigator and Regulatory Compliance

The solution makes it straightforward for users to apply internal policies and external regulations and frameworks to AI use cases. SAS AI Navigator is a standalone SaaS offering that works for both new and existing SAS customers.

Reggie Townsend, Vice President of AI Ethics, Governance and Social Impact at SAS, stated: “AI governance is too often thought of as a compliance measure. It is a growth driver. Instead of fears of shadow AI putting the organization at risk, AI governance empowers people to push the limits of AI within a structured, transparent and secure environment.”

SAS AI Navigator Expands Governance Portfolio

SAS has 50 years of experience helping customers deploy transformational technologies in a responsible manner. Chartis Research recently named SAS a category leader in the Chartis RiskTech Quadrant for AI Governance Solutions, citing the SAS Viya platform’s “leading governance capabilities that extend classic machine learning, model risk management, explainability, bias detection, privacy protection and end-to-end monitoring to the broader enterprise AI environment.”

Michael Versace, Research Director for Governance, Resilience and Compliance at Chartis, said: “By combining these capabilities with its deep expertise in regulated industries, SAS is in a position to demonstrate AI as a growth strategy for clients and prospects.”

What Is AI Governance

AI governance is what organizations do to accelerate innovation, manage risk and ensure trustworthy AI. It is an all-encompassing strategy that establishes AI oversight, ensures compliance and develops consistent operations and infrastructure within an organization.

Strong AI governance builds trust with customers, regulators and internal stakeholders such as boards of directors and employees. Organizations with robust AI governance frameworks are better positioned to strengthen trust in AI-driven decisions and manage AI risks. Without AI governance, organizations face increased risk of legal penalties, reputational damage from biased or opaque AI decisions, operational inefficiencies, and lack of stakeholder trust.

Townsend added: “The biggest risk to any AI governance program is not regulation; it is a tool so complex that no one uses it. SAS AI Navigator was designed to make the path to responsible AI irresistible.”

Organizations interested in a private preview of SAS AI Navigator can apply through the company website. The announcement was made at SAS Innovate, the company’s global data and AI conference, as SAS celebrates 50 years of innovation. This year’s event is supported by partner sponsors including Microsoft, Intel and AWS.