# Are We Being Misled by Data? Ron Wasserstein on AI, Bias, and Statistical Truth

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661/are-we-being-misled-by-data-ron-wasserstein-on-ai-bias-and-statistical-truth
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661/are-we-being-misled-by-data-ron-wasserstein-on-ai-bias-and-statistical-truth.md
Podcast: [Breaking Math Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/breaking-math-podcast-325661)
Published: 2026-05-14T01:46:55+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/breaking-math/2821902
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/369257/2821902/breaking-math/2026_05_14_01_43_36_2308eb74-0297-4354-bacb-67045a1a22ac.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2853

## Resource

In this episode of Breaking Math , Autumn and Noah speak with Ron Wasserstein, Executive Director of the American Statistical Association, about what statistics means in a world increasingly shaped by AI, misinformation, and fragile public trust. Wasserstein argues that statistics is not merely a “bag of tools,” but a way of thinking: asking where data comes from, what it leaves out, how uncertainty should be communicated, and when numbers are being used to illuminate rather than manipulate. Chapters 00:00 The Golden Age of Statistics 02:36 AI's Impact on Statistics 08:16 Data as Fuel for AI 10:55 Bias in AI and Statistics 14:01 Preparing Future Statisticians 16:58 Bridging the Gap: Academia and Industry 22:58 The Misconception of Statistics 23:08 The Role of Statistics in Public Discourse 26:20 The American Statistical Association's Mission 32:18 Statistics and Politics: A Historical Perspective 36:02 Addressing Misinformation and Misuse of Data 39:51 The Importance of Statistical Literacy 44:01 Misconceptions About Statistics and Expertise 46:57 The Essence of Statistics 47:22 Statistics as a Way of Thinking Follow Ron Wasserstein LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-wasserstein/ ) Follow Breaking Math on Substack ( https://breakingmath.substack.com/ ) Twitter ( https://x.com/breakingmathpod ) Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/breakingmathmedia/ ) Bluesky ( https://bsky.app/profile/breakingmath.bsky.social ) Website ( https://www.breakingmath.io/ ) YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/@BreakingMathPod ) Follow Noah on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/profnoahgian/ ) Twitter ( https://x.com/ProfNoahGian ) Bluesky ( https://bsky.app/profile/profnoahgian.bsky.social ) Follow Autumn on Twitter ( https://x.com/1autumn_leaf ) Bluesky ( https://bsky.app/profile/…

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