(Part 1) Friday Seminar on Emerging Issues: AI-readiness for Official Data and Statistics (57th Statistical Commission Side Event)
Summary
In an era marked by rapid technological advancement and an abundance of data sources, the role of official statistics is essential. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in data analysis, policymaking, accessing information, and service delivery, the readiness of official data and statistics for AI consumption is a growing priority.
Description
Opening session: The challenge and opportunity for the use of official data and statistics in the AI-age Second session: Making data and metadata machine-readable, and machine-understandable Third session: Data governance, data governance tools, and capacity Concluding session **** The objective of AI-readiness of official data and statistics is to provide users who search for and access data and statistics through AI with correct, timely, coherent, human-understandable, and contextually relevant official data and metadata, with a clear indication of their provenance and vintage. It encompasses data and metadata quality, discoverability, accessibility, semantic interoperability, and platform architecture across the entire data and statistical business process, including dissemination and governance. Making data and statistics AI-ready is a challenge that involves important foundational technical steps, such as ensuring data and metadata quality, making them machine-readable, and fully interoperable. However, NSOs must also take an active stewardship role over the AI ecosystem itself. This active role requires them to understand how AI models and tools work and to keep pace with their rapid evolution and applications (and even learning to build their own trusted AI applications). It also entails establishing appropriate guardrails for the use of official data and statistics in AI applications, including the provision and enforcement of clear licensing agreements for use and re-use, and the development of standards for testing AI-mediated results. Only by embracing both their technical and stewardship roles will official statistics effectively support policy and decision-making and secure their continuing relevance as a public good. Side Event at the 57th session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, scheduled to be held in New York from 3 to 6 March 2026.
Categories
Meetings & Events → Side Events
Topics
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, STATISTICS, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Organizations
STATISTICAL COMMISSION - UNSC