Businesses have relied on standards for decades, squeezing out costs by increasing efficiency and maximizing product consistency and quality.

Regulators can do the same by adopting open-source data standards and identifiers for data collection. Standards grease the wheels of agency data collection and cut government spending. They improve accessibility, uniformity, and usefulness of data for the public, and facilitate the use of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence. 

Manufacturing companies maximize efficiencies and minimize costs by using the same standard size containers across products and companies. Regardless of content, the dimensions of standardized containers like cans and bottles are the same. Standards maximize efficiency and reduce cost on the filling line, in the supermarket, and in the shipping process when products are transported by truck. A small change in container structure would mean a massive increase in cost.

Open data standards wring unnecessary costs out of government data collection and increase the quality and functionality of reported information. Regulatory efforts including the FDTA for financial and municipal bond issuance reporting, and the GREAT Act for grants reporting aim to increase government efficiency through data standardization. The increasing availability of open, freely available data in structured, standardized format leads to significantly greater support for financial technology including AI.

The latest news, events and posts


XBRL API updates improve AI Connector efficiency
Point of View posted July 10, 2026

By David Tauriello, Vice President of Operations, XBRL US Since the release of the XBRL API in 2018, we've heard from hundreds of users with questions and feedback on functionality to improve analysis with...

Ez-XBRL Solutions Named a 2026 Gartner® Coolest Vendor Innovations in AI-Driven Disclosure and Regulatory Reporting
News posted July 7, 2026

Gartner, Inc. - an American research and advisory firm - has recognized Ez-XBRL Solutions with its 2026 Coolest Vendor Innovations in AI-Driven Disclosure and Regulatory Reporting for its integrated EcoActive and Integix solution....




XBRL US Statement on FDTA Joint Data Standards
Point of View posted June 24, 2026

XBRL US supports the release of the final joint rule, the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA) Joint Standards published on June 9, 2026. The joint rule outlines the requirements for data standards to...

AI and Structured Data: Optimizing Performance in Financial Markets
Point of View posted May 25, 2026

Highlights from the May 15, 2026, AI and Structured Data Forum, featuring the Securities and Exchange Commission, the AICPA, Auditchain, Broadridge Financial, the Center for Research toward Advancing Financial Technologies (CRAFT), Crowe LLP,...




CRAFT and XBRL US Convene Industry Leaders for “AI and Structured Data Forum: Optimizing Performance” at Stevens Institute of Technology
News posted May 25, 2026

Conference brought together regulators, audit leaders, researchers, and financial technology experts to explore how structured data and AI are reshaping finance HOBOKEN, N.J., May 2026 — The Center for Research toward Advancing Financial...

Data Foundation 2026 Data Summit
News posted May 21, 2026

The Data Foundation Symposium on Public Data as Strategic Infrastructure will feature interactive demonstrations and formal presentations from Data Foundation Senior Fellows and other invited guest speakers. Public data collected and managed by...




Comment