NORC Launches Center on AI & Data Quality
For more information or to discuss partnership opportunities, contact Brandon Sepulvado.
CHICAGO, June 15, 2026 — NORC at the University of Chicago today announced the launch of the NORC Center on AI & Data Quality (AIDQ), which helps organizations in high-stakes settings, such as government, public health, education, and justice, apply AI solutions they can trust by establishing and enforcing rigorous data quality standards.
Drawing on researchers, methodologists, and technologists from across NORC, the AIDQ Center advises clients on preparing data for AI use, selecting tools aligned with their needs, and assessing whether AI outputs meet the standards required for decision-making. The center also develops methods and frameworks that help organizations generate trustworthy insights from their data, which can be applied more broadly across sectors.
As AI capabilities continue to evolve, the center draws on decades of NORC research to inform a field where standards are still emerging. It works with federal and state agencies, foundations, technology companies, and peer research organizations to establish data quality frameworks that leaders can use to evaluate AI systems and inform decisions. This work is grounded in independent evaluation, helping ensure the standards it advances remain neutral and widely applicable.
“Organizations are increasingly seeking to understand whether an AI system is fit for purpose and can withstand external scrutiny. Answering these questions requires careful attention to data quality,” said Brandon Sepulvado, director of the Center on AI & Data Quality. “Our approach is grounded in independent, methodologically sound research, enabling us to provide objective assessments and evidence that support a range of public- and private-sector partners.”
“Organizations are increasingly seeking to understand whether an AI system is fit for purpose and can withstand external scrutiny. Answering these questions requires careful attention to data quality.”
The AIDQ Center builds on NORC’s growing AI portfolio, which includes a project that developed tools using AI to enhance data quality, standardization, and integration in partnership with the National Center for Science & Engineering Statistics, a study that investigated the use of AI in patient-centered clinical decision support, NORC’s Trusted Health Information Assistant that creates controlled environments for studying health communication, and an AI-generated response detector that safeguards survey data quality.
“Responsible AI rests on the same data-quality standards that make evaluation and survey research trustworthy and effective,” said Susan Paddock, an executive vice president and chief scientist at NORC. “AIDQ brings independent, methodologically sound evaluation to strengthening the evidence base for using AI to enhance data quality and for assessing the quality of AI inputs.”
“AIDQ brings independent, methodologically sound evaluation to strengthening the evidence base for using AI to enhance data quality and for assessing the quality of AI inputs.”
NORC is seeking partners and collaborators to shape the center’s work and expand its reach. For more information or to discuss partnership opportunities, contact Brandon Sepulvado at sepulvado-brandon@norc.org.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
Contact: For more information, please email press@norc.org or call (877) 832-0392.
