Data is the lifeblood of the modern economy - powering decision-making, daily life, and the AI revolution. But governing data is full of trade-offs: openness and trust vs privacy and regulation; cross-border sharing vs sovereignty; and timeliness vs quality.

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, host Ashley Ward is joined by OECD Chief Statistician Steve MacFeely to explore why data governance has become a core policy challenge - and what it means for the future of official statistics and AI.

We follow Steve’s journey from Cork to Geneva to Paris; unpack his thoughts on metadata; and find out where he thinks the international statistical community should double down – or back off – over the coming decade.

Host: Ashley Ward, Director’s Office Advisor and Communications Manager (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)

Guest: Steve MacFeely, OECD Chief Statistician (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)

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