Energy was high as SAS Innovate brought a late show-style main stage session to life with The Late (Afternoon) Show, where Chief Technology Officer Bryan Harris and others were joined by Fresh Prince of Bel-Air duo Alfonso Ribeiro and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
DJ Jazzy Jeff set the tone with throwback hits before Ribeiro welcomed SAS Innovate newbies and kicked off the big surprises. Among them was American Idol auditioner William Hung from season three, who shared his excitement about learning more about SAS. Naturally, he couldn’t resist a nostalgic moment, singing a bit of She Bangs, the song that made him a viral sensation, for the crowd.
The energy didn’t stop there. Jenn Chase, Chief Marketing Officer, shared excitement about her upcoming conversation with Brené Brown on the main stage, naming Dare to Lead as her favorite of Brown’s books. Meanwhile, Chief Sales Officer Riad Gydien reflected on the meaningful impact SAS customers are making around the globe, from stopping fraud to saving lives, all through the power of data and AI.
Chase and Gydien ended by encouraging attendees to explore the Innovation Hub, where they could see, touch and engage with SAS software in action. One must-see attraction? The Magic Experience, where visitors could stack up against an Orlando Magic NBA player.
It’s showtime
As the countdown hit zero, Ribeiro set the stage for an electrifying close to day one, promising an entertainment-packed hour with unexpected insights and discussions of AI. He teed up the evening’s agenda before giving a special shoutout to DJ Jazzy Jeff. Hip-hop legend, Grammy winner, Fresh Prince alum- Ribeiro didn’t hold back, calling him the “Greatest DJ to ever live.”
Ribeiro teased a brand-new game show coming to the stage that afternoon, marking his first-ever tech conference appearance with a little friendly competition. Then, shifting gears, he tackled the constantly evolving world of AI, spotlighting major headlines, latest trends and even some unexpected innovations, like AI action figures, including one of SAS co-founder Dr. Jim Goodnight.
Now this is a story all about AI
Ribeiro welcomed Harris to the stage, ready to explore the future of AI. He opened with a nod to one of last year’s most unforgettable moments – his appearance on the SAS Innovate stage for Hot Ones with Sean Evans. Harris shared that it was one of the greatest experiences of his career, but wing two was where he began to question his decision to participate.
With SAS approaching its 50th anniversary, Harris emphasized that the company has been working on AI since before most people even knew what it was, naming experience as the secret weapon. While trends come and go, SAS knows how to see through the hype and guide customers toward real outcomes. When organizations struggle with AI, it’s often due to poor data management and quality. As Chase put it, “Garage out, garbage scaled.” AI relies on clean, well-represented data.
When asked about the future of AI, Harris replied with an even bigger question: What is the future of society? With the rise of AI-driven automation, humans must redefine how they add value and spend less time collecting data and more time analyzing it. That shift could lead to discoveries we can’t even begin to imagine. As CEO Jim Goodnight put it, “We're a company of people helping other people.” Humans must feel in control because, at the end of the day, you can’t write a prompt to create events like SAS Innovate. Stories, insights and innovation come from people, and nothing can replace human judgment.
AI always has to be at the purpose of humans. You have to make sure people feel in control, and when they're in control, people are leveraging AI for their gain to create new outcomes. Bryan Harris, SAS CTO
Harris wrapped up his session with a rapid-fire Q&A. His first computer was a Commodore 64 and his favorite ’90s TV show is The Simpsons, a bold choice when sitting on stage with two members of the Fresh Prince cast. His all-time favorite video games are Doom and Unreal Tournament, and when it comes to music, he’d spend a week listening to John Mayer (sorry T-Swift fans) with Panama by Van Halen as his go-to karaoke song. He also admitted that AI-generated photos of himself were downright unsettling, and named Outlook as his most-used app, which I’m sure many of us can relate to.
Wait…How’d he do that?
Vinny DePonto, mind reader and mentalist, amazed the audience with an interactive performance. He kicked things off with the idea that mind control starts young (think ice cream trucks) before demonstrating his ability to plant ideas in unsuspecting minds. In one experiment, an audience member popped a balloon to reveal a script predicting her answers to a series of leading questions.
The answers? Strawberry ice cream and Bill Clinton. Then DePonto asked Ribero, DJ Jazzy Jeff and an audience member to each choose random four-digit numbers, only to have them add up to 57,552, the exact date and time, May 7 at 5:52 pm. Coincidence or proof of talent? DePonto took his abilities to the Innovation Hub for more late-afternoon thought-bending.
Are you smarter than a SAS expert?
Ribeiro brought game-show energy to the stage with AI Q, a battle of AI knowledge in which contestants teamed up with SAS experts to hint at AI-related categories. First up, William Collis, Head of Games, guided his partner through the categories, coming up short-handed. Meanwhile, Brandi Davis, Senior Manager of Inside Sales and Business Development, worked her magic with her contestant. She dominated the competition in a landslide victory, securing her partner a trip to SAS Innovate 2026.
Yo Holmes, smell ya later!
Just like that, The Late (Afternoon) Show was a wrap. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Ribeiro reminisced about their Fresh Prince days and discussed how AI is shaking up the music and entertainment industry. The duo emphasized AI's potential as a powerful tool for production, not a replacement for human talent.
But the night wasn’t over just yet. Attendees were encouraged to gear up for SAS Innovate After Hours, the ultimate VIP experience at Universal Studios, complete with exclusive access to the streets of New York.
With host Dominique Moon and VP of Applied AI and Modeling Udo Sglavo leading the way, this won’t be just another tech networking event. After days of jam-packed full of insights and entertainment, what better way to close it out than with a party?
