AI tools: A powerful new weapon to combat the misuse of statistics

Abstract

False information – whether mistakenly or intentionally distributed – threatens societies around the world, with dire consequences. When official statistics are misused or misrepresented, trust in this public good and the institutions that produce them are undermined. Two groups, fact checkers and statistical regulators, share common goals in combating this problem. Bolstering their work is a new offering of AI tools which help monitor vast volumes of media, identify important statements in public debate and inform users when statements they know to be wrong are repeated again. This article will cover the problem posed by false information, the common goals of fact checkers and statistical regulators, the development of AI tools and their impact.