US$10 million donation of coaching and entry to SAS AI software program and computing capability helps objective of coaching 10,000 greater schooling college students and educators in AI
The Commonwealth Secretariat and knowledge and AI chief SAS will collaborate to construct a extra numerous, international AI workforce by bringing AI software program and computing assets to Commonwealth international locations. A donation of SAS software program, computing capability and coaching, with a mixed worth of US$10 million, consists of AI capabilities and content material that won’t solely assist greater schooling college students discover ways to use AI but in addition how to take action responsibly.
The undertaking is an initiative of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Commonwealth AI Consortium (CAIC), which goals to construct technological capability with an emphasis on small states and younger individuals.
Increased schooling college students and educators in Commonwealth international locations may have free entry to SAS® Viya® for Learners. SAS Viya is a complete, cloud-native platform that gives strong capabilities for knowledge analytics, machine studying and AI. It’s utilized by 1000’s of organizations in industries like banking, schooling, authorities, well being care, insurance coverage and retail.
College students and educators will even have entry to the digital studying environments SAS Talent Builder for College students and the SAS Educator Portal. These platforms supply digital programs, certification packages, and hands-on studying alternatives designed to construct and validate analytics and AI abilities. Moreover, the Educator Portal consists of instructing supplies that make it simple to combine analytics content material into curricula.
The Commonwealth’s postsecondary establishments are additionally invited to take part within the Curiosity Cup – SAS’s international scholar knowledge competitors – and the SAS Hackathon. These free competitions present a wonderful alternative for college kids to use their analytical abilities to real-world issues, collaborate with friends and acquire recognition on a worldwide stage.
Suresh Yadav, Senior Director of AI, Commerce, Oceans and Pure Assets on the Commonwealth Secretariat stated:
“In our quickly evolving digital panorama, we face not only a digital divide, however a important infrastructure divide. If we fail to deal with this hole and make important assets accessible to our youth, we danger shedding a complete era to technological inequality. This isn’t nearly entry to info; it’s about empowering younger minds with the instruments to innovate, create, and remedy international challenges. If we do that proper, we’re not simply connecting college students to know-how – we’re connecting them to limitless potentialities.
Our partnership with SAS is an important step in direction of guaranteeing that no younger individual within the Commonwealth is left behind within the digital revolution.”
There are 56 international locations within the Commonwealth, together with 33 small states. The SAS collaboration will initially give attention to the Caribbean earlier than increasing to different international locations, with the objective of coaching 10,000 college students and educators over 5 years. This helps the Commonwealth Secretariat’s priorities of selling digital transformation and sustainable growth and constructing a various international workforce able to supporting AI-driven transformation.
For over 40 years, SAS has partnered with educational establishments, authorities organizations and companies alike to unleash the ability of knowledge to enhance selections and rework organizations. SAS is used at greater than 3,000 schools and universities world wide, and thru the corporate’s International Tutorial Applications, it has college partnerships in Commonwealth international locations in each area.
Based on Statista, the AI market exceeded $184 billion in 2024 and is projected to race previous $826 billion by 2030.
“We’ve got spent a long time equipping educators with assets and college students with the talents they should seize the most well liked jobs within the tech market,” stated Sean O’Brien, SAS Senior Vice President, Training. “These jobs are actually in AI. We’re excited to assist college students change their lives and develop the tech sectors in Commonwealth international locations.”
Studying to make use of AI responsibly
The rise of highly effective AI applied sciences presents unbelievable alternatives however has additionally stoked fears, and rules are rising world wide to deal with the moral use of AI. SAS’ dedication to accountable innovation is embedded in its tradition and know-how. Commonwealth college students and educators will be capable of use SAS Viya’s built-in reliable AI capabilities like bias detection, explainability, resolution auditability, mannequin monitoring, governance and accountability.
Reggie Townsend, SAS Vice President of Knowledge Ethics, spoke on the Commonwealth launch occasion. “This collaboration will deliver AI capability to populations that haven’t at all times benefited from the technological advances that energy the world’s largest economies,” stated Townsend. “These college students won’t solely acquire AI abilities coveted by employers world wide, however they will even discover ways to wield these highly effective applied sciences ethically in ways in which profit society.”
