NZ Values and AI

New Zealand is not just a passive recipient of AI technology developed elsewhere. There are distinctly New Zealand perspectives — particularly Maori perspectives — that matter for how AI is developed and governed here.

Te Tiriti and data sovereignty

Te Tiriti o Waitangi establishes principles of partnership, participation, and protection that are directly relevant to AI. Data sovereignty — the right of Maori to govern data about Maori — is an increasingly important issue as AI systems are trained on data that may include Maori cultural knowledge, language, and community information.

The Maori Data Sovereignty Network and Te Mana Raraunga have articulated frameworks for how data about Maori should be governed. These principles are beginning to influence how New Zealand government agencies approach AI development.

Te Reo Maori and AI

Most major AI models perform significantly worse in te reo Maori than in English — because training data in te reo is far more limited. This creates a real equity gap. Efforts to build better te reo Maori AI capabilities, including work at Victoria University of Wellington and community-led initiatives, are addressing this — but it remains an area where New Zealand needs to invest.

Pacific perspectives

New Zealand has the world largest urban Pasifika population. AI systems trained predominantly on Western data often perform poorly for Pacific communities and may embed assumptions about health, education, and social circumstances that do not reflect Pacific realities.

A New Zealand contribution

New Zealand can contribute meaningfully to global AI governance by championing indigenous data sovereignty, advocating for multilingual equity, and demonstrating that small nations can develop coherent, values-aligned approaches to AI.

The question for New Zealand is not just how to use AI — it is how to use it in a way that reflects our values as a bicultural, Pacific nation with a strong commitment to fairness and equity.