SAS: Human Judgment Key to Agentic AI ROI

For lasting business value from AI, companies must invest in human judgment, not just automation. That's according to executives at SAS. As businesses move to AI systems that can take action, the real test of return on investment will be scaling automation without sidelining human decision-making. While automation can offer short-term savings, lasting AI value comes from systems designed to amplify human context and expertise. This requires governance frameworks where people remain responsible for setting goals and making high-risk decisions. Here's the thing: Organizations prioritizing trustworthy AI are 60% more likely to double their AI project ROI, according to IDC research. SAS leaders emphasize that the strongest AI strategies use automation to scale human expertise, not eliminate it. When everyone has access to AI, human judgment becomes the key differentiator. The bottom line: AI should expand what people can understand, decide, and achieve, helping more individuals make better decisions rather than replacing them.