Countries around the globe have invested in strengthening their anti-corruption and integrity frameworks. However, there is often a significant gap between the creation of these frameworks and their actual implementation. The countries’ scope of action needs to be expanded to address emerging corruption and integrity risks.

While OECD countries meet 61% of the standard criteria for regulations, the implementation rate drops to 44%, resulting in an implementation gap of 17 percentage points. Very few countries are conducting systematic risk assessments, sanctions for non-compliance are rarely enforced and only 40% of standard practices concerning conflict of interests have been implemented. Furthermore, the report also highlights a considerable monitoring gap, with 60% of OECD countries failing to monitor the implementation of their anti-corruption and integrity strategies adequately. Many of them struggle to collect data and information on the implementation of their frameworks.

AI offers OECD countries a range of opportunities to uphold public sector integrity more effectively. It has fundamentally changed how public authorities assess and manage integrity and corruption risk in public institutions. However, countries should understand the limitations and risks associated with the use of AI in the public sector, especially where countries are struggling to collect the data needed for AI to work. The growing use of sophisticated methods such as AI by corrupt actors represents nowadays one of the primary challenges faced by countries dealing with corruption and integrity risks.

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