Global dialogue on AI readiness in Official Statistics

On 5 October 2025, leading experts from across the international data and statistics community gathered at Leiden University’s Wijnhaven campus in The Hague for a high-level session on AI readiness and Official Statistics, held as part of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) World Statistical Congress.

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is reshaping how data is produced, analysed and used. This session explored a central question facing governments and institutions worldwide: Are Official Statistics prepared for the AI era?

Hosted by UNESCO and partners, the event brought together key figures working at the intersection of data science, governance, and public statistics. Discussions focused on three major themes:

• What it means for national statistical systems to become genuinely “AI-ready”?

• How to balance innovation with robust governance, transparency and privacy?

• How institutions can collaborate across borders to build trustworthy, future-proof data ecosystems?

The panel featured speakers including:

• Barteld Braaksma, Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS)
• Bhanu Neupane, UNESCO
• Lampros Stergioulas, UNESCO Chair in AI and Data Science for Society (THUAS)
• Maria Fasli, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation), University of Sussex and UNESCO Chair in Analytics & Data Science, University of Essex
• Steve MacFeely, Chief Statistician, OECD
• Ed Humpherson, Office for Statistics Regulation
• Francesca Kay, Central Statistics Office Ireland
• Nina Bekele, Google
• Jim Tebrake, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• Saskia Lensink, TNO
• Junhwi Lee, KOSTAT (Statistics Korea)

Speakers highlighted the growing reliance on AI-driven methods in areas such as automated data processing, anomaly detection, modelling, and rapid statistical estimation. At the same time, they stressed the need for clear regulatory frameworks, ethical guidelines, and capacity-building to ensure AI enhances public trust rather than undermines it.

The session also underscored the importance of international cooperation. As data becomes more complex and globally interconnected, no single organisation can address the challenges of AI adoption alone. Collaborative governance, shared best practices and open dialogue were identified as key pathways for ensuring that Official Statistics remain robust, transparent and socially responsible.

The UNESCO Chair Data Science & AI for Society at The Hague University of Applied Sciences was pleased to contribute to this global conversation through the participation of Professor Lampros Stergioulas, reinforcing the Chair’s mission to support ethical, inclusive and human-centured use of AI across society.

This event marks another step in strengthening global preparedness for AI-driven transformation in the public sector, highlighting The Hague’s growing role as a hub for international dialogue on data, technology and governance.