IUSSP-PAA Webinar on AI & Demography - Part 2 (22 October 2026)

This IUSSP-PAA webinar on "AI & Demography" was held on 22 October 2026. The rapid development and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is opening new possibilities for demographic research and practice, while also raising important methodological, ethical, and practical questions. In two webinars, the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) and the Population Association of America (PAA) brought together demographers and other experts to explore how AI is already being used in demographic research, how it may shape the field in the coming years, and the opportunities and challenges it presents. The discussions addressed emerging applications of AI in data collection, analysis, estimation, simulation, and dissemination, as well as its potential to make demographic research more efficient and accessible. The webinars also address some of the challenges accompanying the growing use of AI, including data security and confidentiality, bias, transparency and accountability, and unequal access to AI tools, data, and infrastructure. Particular attention is given to what these developments mean for demographic research and data systems in different parts of the world, including the Global South. Part 2: Moderator: Vissého Adjiwanou, Université du Québec à Montréal Speakers: Evans Omondi, African Population Health Research Council (APHRC) The value and potential biases of AI for collecting demographic information in the absence of DHS and other established survey data Isaac Maddow-Zimet, Guttmacher Institute Challenges of using AI/LLMs with sensitive data and code Tyler McCormick, University of Washington Rapidly changing data regimes and the implications for the use of AI in demographic research Madeleine Short Fabic, ICF, The Demographic and Health Surveys Program Uses of AI in the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) See also "Part 1": https://iussp.org/en/iussp-paa-webina...