CBS Implements Artificial Intelligence in Research Methodology Program

AI Techniques

One of the methods being developed is building apps to collect data. Vera Toepoel, head of methodology at CBS in Heerlen, explains: ‘With the Budget Research, we visualize the consumption expenditures of individuals. What do they spend their money on and how much do they spend? Currently, participants keep track of this in a sort of diary. For example, someone buys a pound of tomatoes for €1.35 or a pair of socks for €10. It is a lot of work to keep track of all expenditures. In the future, CBS will do this with an app where respondents simply take a photo of the receipt. Using AI techniques, we will read and classify those products on the receipt. The use of AI aligns with CBSs ambition to minimize the burden on individuals and businesses when collecting data. It is one of our two new methodological themes for the coming years.’

Safe and Responsible

Regarding AI, she states: ‘CBS recognizes the opportunities but is also aware of the risks. From our focus on reliability and objectivity, we want to use AI only when it is safe and responsible. We will conduct research aimed at making AI applicable within official statistics in a reliable and accurate manner. It must be a method of the same quality as our regular methods or better.’

Toolbox

Reinoud Stoel, head of methodology at CBS in The Hague: ‘You can see methodology as a toolbox. A box containing many methods to produce official statistics and answer substantive questions. For example, it contains methods for collecting and analyzing data. The methodologist knows the methods in this toolbox and understands which method is suitable for which research, when to develop a new method, or when to refine an existing one. Is a questionnaire for businesses the most suitable? Or can we obtain the necessary data from a register, so that businesses need to provide less information? How can you best utilize the chosen tool? We advise CBS colleagues on these aspects.’

New Goals

Given the importance of methodology, it is essential to regularly sharpen existing ambitions, set new goals, and respond to changing needs and future developments. CBS does this every five years with a new research methodology program. Toepoel states: ‘In the program for 2025–2030, six themes are present, which also appeared in the previous program and remain relevant. These are: big data, data integration, information security, primary observation (questionnaires), statistical modeling, and complexity and causality. Additionally, we have the new themes of applicable AI and communication about statistical information.’

Historical Context

Stoel places the shift to AI in a historical context. ‘Within CBS, methodologists have been at the forefront of many significant developments. They introduced the theory of making statistics based on samples decades ago. By presenting a relatively small but cleverly chosen part of the population with a questionnaire, you can gain good information about the total population. Sampling is still frequently used in statistical production, from the Vacation Research to the Conjunctural Survey. Later, CBS began using registers, for example, the Basic Registration of Persons and the General Business Register. This way, you relieve individuals and businesses, but new questions arise. In registers, you find data that was not primarily collected for statistical research. How do you determine the quality of this data? And how do you combine information from registers and questionnaires? And now, in the transition to AI, methodological research plays an important role again.’

Understandable for Everyone

It is important that users of CBS statistics understand the figures. The second new theme – statistical information communication – will contribute to this. Stoel states: ‘In the coming years, we will focus our methodological research on the users of our statistics. Do they understand the information and can they interpret it correctly? Are there new forms of visualizations that can make our information more understandable? Together with our Communication & News division, we have conducted research into how we can improve the publication ‘Netherlands in Figures’. We pay attention to both the attractiveness of a visualization and its methodological correctness. Through user research, we will take further steps in this area.’ Toepoel adds: ‘Another aspect of the new theme of statistical information communication is to investigate how we can communicate certain uncertainties in statistics – statistics never comes with 100 percent certainty – in a way that enhances rather than weakens the information. That remains a challenge.’