National statistical systems (NSSs) are facing rising demand for faster, more granular, and trusted data to guide evidence-based decision-making and monitor ambitious development agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agenda 2063, and national strategies. To respond, many national statistics offices (NSOs) are seeking to modernise by adopting digital tools, exploring new data sources, and strengthening institutional capacity. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to strengthen data production, accessibility, and use across the entire data value chain. Some NSOs have already piloted AI applications such as automated data classification, natural language processing for coding responses, and machine learning models for population estimates.
Yet, these remain isolated initiatives rather than fully integrated ways of working. Based on research and experience in the field, this paper explores how AI can responsibly enhance official statistics, increase efficiency, and unlock new data-driven insights for policy. In tandem, this webinar will introduce key findings and recommendations from the paper to inform dialogue among experts and decision-makers on scaling the use of AI in national data ecosystems.
In this context, the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21), in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Data Lab of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is convening a series of webinars on the role of official statistics in policymaking, and opportunities brought by AI. This first webinar aims to present and discuss the findings of PARIS21’s discussion paper “Enhancing the Availability of Quality Data for Policy Making Using AI”. The webinar will showcase the use of AI across national statistical systems and foster dialogue on how to responsibly integrate AI to strengthen data ecosystems and support evidence-based policymaking.
The webinar will be available in English, French, and Spanish.
Register here