AI and the future of official statistics with André Loranger - Chief Statistician of Canada

AI and the future of official statistics with André Loranger - Chief Statistician of Canada

June 16, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of AI on official statistics and the evolving role of statistical organizations.

AI is changing how citizens, journalists and policymakers find facts. Instead of going directly to statistical databases, more users are turning to AI assistants and chatbots to retrieve, interpret and reference official statistics. In this first episode of Statistics in the AI Era, OECD Chief Statistician Steve MacFeely speaks with André Loranger, Chief Statistician of Canada and head of Statistics Canada, about what trusted public data means when AI becomes the interface between society and statistics. They discuss metadata, evolving data quality frameworks, hallucination risks, responsible AI use within statistical organisations, and whether AI should be treated as a new kind of user. The episode also explores Statistics Canada’s 2030 vision and the mix of skills statistical offices will need to protect quality, transparency and public trust in the AI age. Host: Steve MacFeely, OECD Chief Statistician (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate) LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-macfeely-a1a710112/ Guest: André Loranger, Chief Statistician of Canada (Statistics Canada) LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-loranger-12515731/ To learn more about this policy area…

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Host: Steve MacFeely

Guest: André Loranger

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Organizations: Statistics Canada, OECD

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