SAS predicts AI trends focusing on ethics & sustainability

SAS has released a series of predictions detailing key AI trends and business developments expected by 2025, focusing on the themes of model specialisation, regulatory challenges, and environmental sustainability.

According to SAS, AI's capability to personalise and manage information on a massive scale is significantly transforming interactions with data and information. "AI's ability to personalise and operate at a massive scale is reshaping how we interact with information, including the rise of misinformation and manipulation of social norms. AI attacks can happen on an individual, group or at the institutional level—threatening our ways of life," stated Steven Tiell, Global Head of AI Governance Advisory at SAS. Business leaders are urged to foster conversations on the ethical utilisation of AI, aligning organisational values with published AI principles, policies, standards, and controls.

The deployment of energy-efficient AI models is considered crucial amidst the rising demand for sustainable energy solutions. Bryan Harris, Chief Technology Officer at SAS, commented on the necessity of enhancing model efficiency, "Speed and algorithmic efficiency cannot be ignored as critical levers to reduce cloud consumption. While energy-hungry AI will continue to fuel the drive toward sustainable energy sources including nuclear, it will also increase demand for more energy efficient models."

Marinela Profi, Global GenAI/AI Market Strategy Lead, highlighted the disparity in organisational performance within the generative AI landscape: "2025 will reveal some organisations are thriving with generative AI—outpacing the competition, creating specialised customer experiences, launching innovative products faster. But other organisations are falling behind in the generative AI race." The effective use and management of data is cited as a fundamental determinant of AI success.

SAS projects that commoditisation will transform the AI pricing model as large language models (LLMs) become freely available. Udo Sglavo, Vice President, Applied AI & Modeling, R&D, noted, "In 2025, LLMs will become commoditised, leading to AI pricing models collapsing as base-level capabilities are offered for free." The emphasis will increasingly be on specialised services and applications developed on these foundational models.

Environmental responsibility in AI and cloud adoption is also a key theme. Jerry Williams, Chief Environmental Officer, noted, "The rush to adopt AI is leading to inefficient models that consume vast amounts of cloud resources and contribute to a larger carbon footprint. It is not only up to hardware providers and hyperscalers to reduce environmental impact—it's a shared responsibility with the AI users managing data and AI workloads."

Furthermore, SAS anticipates a significant shift towards full AI operationalisation by organisations, heralding an era where AI will drive competitive advantages. Jay Upchurch, Chief Information Officer, explained, "Fully AI-enabled organisations are the ones that will win the IT battles of 2025. As generative AI evolves from a 'shiny new toy' to 'just' another type of AI, organisations will fully operationalise all forms of AI to automate routine tasks that free employees for higher-value work."

In marketing, SAS sees an evolution with more advanced use of AI to create personalised customer interactions while respecting privacy. "In 2025, marketers will move aggressively from simpler applications of GenAI focused on productivity and content generation to more advanced AI capabilities driving competitive advantage and revenue growth," noted Jennifer Chase, Chief Marketing Officer.