SAS vs. R for Artificial Intelligence

Key takeaways

• Both the SAS software suite and the R programming language enable you to create artificial intelligence (AI) applications: SAS with specialized software and R with its packages and libraries.

• When comparing SAS versus R programming, consider this: SAS offers built-in solutions for AI and machine learning, while R programming is an open-source alternative with packages for AI applications.

• You can learn both R and SAS through options such as certification preparation, online courses, and boot camps, although R programming generally has a bigger learning curve for those without programming knowledge, while SAS requires fewer commands to perform tasks.

Both SAS and R remain relevant today: SAS as paid enterprise software, and R as free and open-source. Continue reading to learn more about what SAS and R are, the pros and cons of each, and which may be right for you. Then, if you’re ready to get started developing AI applications, you can pursue the IBM AI Developer Professional Certificate to start learning terms, AI frameworks, and the tools needed to create applications.

What is SAS?

SAS, short for Statistical Analysis System, is a collection of several different integrated software products for analyzing data, performing statistical analysis, and much more. SAS is what’s known as a fourth-generation programming language. Fourth-generation programming languages differ from other programming languages, such as C, by requiring fewer commands to perform tasks, making them relatively simpler to use.

Some of the well-known companies across different fields that utilize SAS are Levi Strauss, Samsung, Intel, the US Department of Agriculture, the World Wildlife Fund, Lockheed Martin, and the Orlando Magic. According to SAS, a massive 90 percent of Fortune 100 companies or their affiliates have used SAS over the past five years [1].

SAS for AI

SAS offers software solutions specifically for artificial intelligence. For machine learning and deep learning applications, SAS has tools to help you recognize the variables in your models that are impactful, creating visualizations to better learn about the insights found in your data. With SAS, you can also create synthetic data to use for training deep learning models.

Another area of artificial intelligence SAS provides is natural language processing. By incorporating deep learning, machine learning, and natural language processing, SAS allows you to find valuable information from text data by automatically detecting relationships and presenting the findings in interactive reports and visualizations.

Some of the other useful AI solutions you can experience with SAS include computer vision and predictive forecasting. Industry applications of SAS AI solutions include banking, life sciences, insurance, retail, health care, education, and manufacturing, along with others.

Pros and cons of SAS

SAS comes with plenty of benefits. Not only does SAS likely have software solutions for you regardless of the industry you work in, but SAS also provides an environment where your data is safe. Additionally, SAS users benefit from its ease of use in comparison to common programming languages, with the help of a user-friendly interface.

SAS does have some downsides as well. Depending on the budget of your organization, SAS may not be affordable, whereas R is a free, open-source option. Additionally, SAS doesn’t offer the same level of customizability as R as far as data visualization tools go.

Are SAS and R still relevant?

Yes, both SAS and R remain relevant. In 2026, SAS reached its 50th anniversary and noted its ongoing commitment to embracing new technologies, including agentic AI and quantum computing., and the notable growth it predicts over the coming years. Additionally, in September 2026, the TIOBE Index, which analyzes the popularity of programming languages, showed that R is in the top 10 after spending 2025 at the number 13 slot [2].

What is R?

This programming language specializes in statistical functions and data analysis. R is also popular for its ability to create visualizations, with specific tools designed to help you do so. You can access R on operating systems such as macOS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows as an open-source programming language. Another way of using R is through the integrated development environment RStudio.

The industries where you can find professionals programming with R include manufacturing, health care, retail, finance, and education. Some of the positions where R programming is a common skill are data scientists, data analysts, and statisticians. However, the popularity of R as a tool for artificial intelligence is growing, with specific features designed to help develop applications in this field.

R for AI

R has packages and libraries that you can use in order to create AI applications in areas like natural language processing, computer vision, deep learning, and machine learning models, namely predictive modeling. For natural language processing, you can use R to classify, summarize, and cluster text. When working on computer vision projects, R is effective in analyzing images to detect specific objects and classify them as well.

Some of the packages you can use in R for artificial intelligence tasks include Tidyverse for graphing data, iml for analyzing machine learning models, H2O for developing machine learning algorithms, and vip for creating visualizations.

Pros and cons of R

R has several features that make it an excellent option for your next AI project. As an open-source programming language, you can use R for free. Additionally, the packages in R are helpful during the development process, and you can use R for many different tasks, including creating unique visualizations.

However, one of the main challenges with R is the learning process. If you have limited experience with the language, you will need to gain familiarity before using R for AI applications. Furthermore, when performing highly complex AI tasks that are computationally heavy, R may not be the best option.

Read more: R Programming Jobs: Salary Guide

Is SAS compatible with R?

Yes, SAS has packages that integrate with R. Interactive matrix language (IML) combined with SAS allows you to transfer data to R, call R functions, and send results to SAS functions, all using the R language.

Developing skills in SAS vs. R programming

You can demonstrate your skills in SAS to employers by earning an SAS Certified Professional: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning certification. To earn this certification, you first must complete three exams. These exams cover machine learning, forecasting, and optimization, along with computer vision and natural language processing.

To develop your programming skills in R, you have several options, including online courses, some of which can be found on Coursera. R boot camps cover key concepts, such as creating visualizations and statistical modeling, and they will help you learn more about using R libraries. Boot camps are an effective way to gain the necessary skills for a career quickly, generally within three to six months.

Explore our free SAS and R programming resources

Stay connected to AI trends, career insights, and networking opportunities by subscribing to our Career Chat newsletter on LinkedIn. Then, explore our free resources for machine learning engineers:

• Study terms: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Terms & Definitions

• Take a quiz: Machine Learning Career Quiz: Is It Right for You? Find Your Role

• Hear from an expert: Becoming an AI Engineer: 7 Questions with an IBMer

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