Butterfly Data Wins SAS Hackathon with Tool to Fight Misinformation
With the surge of misinformation and disinformation affecting crucial decisions worldwide, a solution has emerged that might just turn the tide. Butterfly Data, a distinguished participant in the 2024 SAS Hackathon, has developed an AI-driven tool to evaluate data sources for their credibility and reliability, marking a significant advance in combating misleading information.
Team Butterflies, hailing from the UK-based Butterfly Data, brings a wealth of experience in technology consulting, specializing in data science and data management solutions. Their endeavor showcases the potential of transforming data into strategic assets. SAS, a leader in the realms of data and artificial intelligence, has provided the technological backbone that powers this initiative.
The award-winning solution uses state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) and classification models to scrutinize open source data for trustworthiness. With this tool, organizations can ensure the use of credible information in decision-making, thus safeguarding ethical standards and reliability.
“Data shapes decisions with real-world repercussions. Ensuring its reliability is paramount. Our tool tackles misinformation, fostering informed and transparent decision-making processes,” said Luke Coldridge, Senior Consultant at Butterfly Data and leader of Team Butterflies. The team envisions this tool as a catalyst for positive change, pushing back against disinformation to support a well-informed global populace.
Powered by Viya
In crafting their solution, Team Butterflies harnessed the power of SAS’ premier data and AI platform, SAS Viya. They complemented this with tools like SAS Viya Workbench and SAS Viya Copilot, alongside open-source instruments such as Git, Python, and Visual Studio (VS) Code.
SAS Viya Workbench, introduced in 2024, is a state-of-the-art, cloud-based coding environment designed specifically for developers, data scientists, and modelers. It significantly enhances efficiency and facilitates data management, analysis, and model development with both SAS and Python code, utilizing interfaces like VS Code and Jupyter Notebook.
Furthermore, SAS Viya Copilot serves as an AI-powered conversational assistant, integrated directly into the Viya platform, streamlining analytical, business, and industry tasks for its users. Currently, in a private preview stage, it is slated for broader availability later this year.
Detecting Disinformation
Built on Agile software development methodologies, Team Butterflies utilized SAS Viya to drive advanced analytics and machine learning, expedited by Viya Workbench and Viya Copilot leveraging LLM (large language model) technology. The integration of open source tools was crucial in ensuring a flexible coding environment and fostering seamless collaboration.
The Cloud Analytics Services (CAS) data-processing engine within Viya facilitated centralized data management alongside real-time dashboards. Such integrations, supported by SAS Information Catalog APIs, significantly reinforced the transparency, tracing data lineage, and quality, boosting users’ trust in the insights emanating from their analyses.
SAS Hackathon
The 2024 SAS Hackathon broke records with 1,731 participants from over 70 countries, resulting in an unprecedented count of 145 teams entering the month-long competition. With guidance from 110 SAS mentors, participants ventured into the innovative spaces of data science, business analysis, and technology.
Teams, often separated by continents, connected virtually to exchange ideas, drawing from each other’s expertise and the guidance of SAS mentors. The event emphasized the role of curiosity, innovation, and AI technology in solving substantial business and societal challenges.
“The transformative approach exhibited by Team Butterflies and other participants highlights the synergy of creativity and development in AI technology,” stated Einar Halvorsen, Global Hackathon Producer at SAS. “Their work illustrates the potential of AI tools in transforming data into actionable and reliable insights.”
The announcement of Team Butterflies as the winner took place at SAS Innovate, a prominent conference dedicated to data and AI technology. In addition to winning the overall hackathon, Team Butterflies claimed victory in four specific categories, demonstrating excellence across regions and technological domains.
About SAS
Globally recognized for its leadership in data and AI, SAS equips organizations with the tools to convert data into trusted decisions. Committed to innovation, SAS provides robust software and solutions tailored to industry-specific needs, empowering clients with THE POWER TO KNOW.
For more information, contact:
Mike Nemecek
Email: mike.nemecek@sas.com
Phone: 919-531-5140
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