Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI

Developed by the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization with and for employer organizations, ReguLens responds to a growing policy bottleneck. The rapid surge in complex, overlapping regulations is outpacing institutional capacity. Built through iterative co-creation with users across regions, the tool helps organizations analyze proposals, identify impacts, and engage earlier in policy debates.

Stefaan Verhulst and Adam Zable argue that the biggest challenge in open data is no longer access, but usability, as official statistics remain difficult to find, interpret, and apply. Drawing on the International Monetary Fund’s StatGPT new research, it shows how artificial intelligence could transform access through natural language interfaces, while warning that accuracy and trust depend on retrieving authoritative data rather than generating answers. The article situates this shift within a broader “Fourth Wave of Open Data,” calling for new data systems and governance approaches that make information truly usable and reliable.

This piece by John Wihbey and Jill Abramson distills lessons from the InnovateUS Amplify workshop series, where public-sector communicators grappled with how AI is reshaping their work amid declining public trust. Across sessions, we learn that AI can accelerate research, synthesis, and storytelling, but it cannot replace judgment, verification, or institutional values. As communicators adopt new tools, the opportunity lies in using AI to strengthen transparency, credibility, and connection with the public, rather than erode them.