The AI Forum welcomes the government’s announcement of New Zealand’s Strategy for Artificial Intelligence.
This first step in confirming a strategy for AI in Aotearoa New Zealand is something we have been in favour of since the Forum’s inception in 2017, detailed our original roadmap for AI adoption across New Zealand in 2019 and our more recent AI Blueprint for Aotearoa released in July 2024. The Blueprint focuses on six key sectors, and with industry and academic support behind them we have made great progress highlighted in our six-monthly updates.
Without a national AI strategy, we have been running the risk of uncoordinated responses across government and industry resulting in unintended inconsistencies that may hinder rather than help in the adoption of innovative, responsible and inclusive AI. This uncertainty can impact trust, research, investment and adoption of AI.
With the publication of this strategy, we now have that stake in the ground.
It is based on the foundations of the OECD principles that promote AI that is innovative and trustworthy and puts people and sustainability at the heart of the ecosystem.
We also welcome the Responsible AI Guidance for Businesses, which compliments and references our member’s own work AI Forum NZ – AI Governance.
These first steps provide some certainty in an area that holds an enormous amount of potential and we hope that this provides the certainty needed to unlock the potential that AI has to positively transform industries and create significant value for both business and society as a whole.
We look forward to seeing what the next steps the government takes in fostering trust, development and adoption through actions that include supporting accessibility, education and the upskilling of our workforce.
Read the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment’s release about this milestone here.
