January 16, 2025
Artificial Intelligence
NEWSOn January 16, 2024, the Commerce Data Governance Board released Generative AI and Open Data: Guidelines and Best Practices. This guidance will support the Department of Commerce’s entities in the development of generative AI-ready open data assets. This guidance will be updated periodically.In late 2023, the Department of Commerce’s Commerce Data Governance Board launched the AI and Open Government Data Working Group, chaired by Dr. Sallie Ann Keller, Chief Scientist of the U.S. Census Bureau. The working group, consisting of AI and data experts throughout the Department of Commerce (Commerce), was tasked with evaluating how the Department could enhance the creation, curation, and distribution of its open data assets to best meet the needs of users who leverage generative AI applications to interact with Commerce’s open data. Throughout 2024, the working group published the AI and Open Government Data Assets Request for Information (RFI) and collaborated with AI and data experts across government, the private sector, think tanks, and academia. These efforts resulted in the publishing of the guidance, Generative Artificial Intelligence and Open Data: Guidelines and Best Practices.This guidance provides actionable guidelines and best practices for publishing open data optimized for generative AI systems. While it is designed for use by the Department of Commerce and its bureaus, this guidance has been made publicly available to benefit open data publishers globally. The first version of the guidance, published on January 16, 2025, is envisioned as a dynamic resource that will be revised and updated with new insights, feedback, and other considerations.Download GuidancePrior Relevant InformationBlog Post – Preparing Open Data for the Age of AIBlog Post – Request for Information: AI-Ready Open Government Data AssetsFederal Register – AI and Open Government Data Assets Request for Information
FAQWhat is the Commerce Data Governance Board?The Commerce Data Governance Board was established to fulfill the requirements set forth in the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) and Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-19-23. The Board's mission is to optimize the use of Commerce Department data as a strategic asset, ensuring alignment with the objectives of the Evidence Act. The Board is responsible for guiding the implementation of the Act within the Department, coordinating and preparing key deliverables, and providing comprehensive updates and reports to the White House Office of Management and Budget, as well as Congress. What is the AI and Open Government Data Assets Working Group?The Commerce Data Governance Board established the AI and Open Government Data Assets Working Group in 2023 to address the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its use of open data. This group, composed of experts in data management and AI from across Commerce’s bureaus, have worked collaboratively with outside partners including industry, academia, and other stakeholders within the public data ecosystem to establish innovative data dissemination practices that align with the evolving needs of data users and AI systems. What does this guidance do?The Generative Artificial Intelligence and Open Data: Guidelines and Best Practices recommend guidelines and best practices for publishing open data for use by generative AI systems. It breaks down its recommendations into five sections: Documentation, Data and Metadata Formats, Data Storage and Dissemination, Data Licensing and Usage, and Data Integrity and Quality. Why has Commerce developed this guidance?As Commerce's open data becomes increasingly integrated into generative AI systems, there is a growing need for Commerce to disseminate generative AI-ready data assets. The Commerce Data Governance Board created the AI and Open Government Data Assets Working Group to meet this need and develop guidance to help the department’s open data assets achieve generative AI readiness. Through the implementation of this guidance, Commerce hopes to: Enhance the accuracy of AI responses: When a user queries a generative AI model with a question requiring Commerce data (e.g., “What is the population of Suitland, MD?”), the Commerce data produced for a user is accurate, properly represented, and properly sourced.Increase the prioritization of authoritative data: Commerce would like to better ensure that its data are prioritized over non-authoritative and potentially inaccurate sources in AI-generated responses. For whom are the guidelines intended?The guidelines are intended for use by the Department of Commerce and its bureaus, offices, and operating units, but are published publicly for use by data publishers globally. Are government, private, or public sector organizations required to follow this guidance?No. While Commerce encourages all organizations who publish public data to engage with and take advantage of this guidance, it is not required.
Bureaus and Offices
Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs
