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Customary Māori Values and Copyright Legislation for Facial Recognition Technology (FRT)
For many years, I have written about the risks that Māori and other minority communities are confronted with, from emerging digital technologies. In particular: deepfakes, cultural appropriation (such as the misuse of moko), voice cloning, and biased facial recognition systems. These technologies raise significant concerns, including identity theft, fake pornography, digital impersonation, and the broader…
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Benefits to Māori of no Census
The recent announcement by the government that the Census will cease in 2028 has been met with various reactions. Māori statisticians and academics with memberships and affiliations to Te Mana Raraunga and Iwi Leaders Data Group in particular are warning of issues for Māori and Iwi. As a Māori technologist/governor with Data and AI, I…
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Cyber activism removes Toitū te Tiriti Lawyer form social media
Toitū te Tiriti Lawyer, Tania Waikato who has become prominent online with sharing legal advise, tutorials about how to write submissions against the racist Regulatory Standards Bill here in New Zealand has been banned from Facebook. Her content was civil, polite and factual. It only served to enlighten people of the impacts of the bill…
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Good news AI case study for Māori education
According to their media release, the Writer’s Toolbox, a New Zealand and Australian education company who provide an educational writing programme powered by patented AI, designed to help students master writing, is having a serious impact on Māori students literacy achievements. After using Writer’s Toolbox [using a locally-built AI], Thornton School [Decile 5, in Whakatāne]…
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AI with IP Art and Reo webinar
We successfully ran another free over subscribed (150 people) webinar, this month. The topic was on Māori and IP rights and Māori language with Artificial Intelligence. The recording is available at https://bit.ly/IPandReo. Next month, I will be discuss how Te Tiriti, He Whakaputanga and other legal instruments recognise Māori rights in relation to AI, including…
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Scribble moko online protest with unintended consequences
Earlier this week the Honourable Winston Peters, in an open parliament debate about the punishment of three politicians of the Māori Party made what is considered a derogatory and racist comment about the Honourable Rawiri Waititi’s moko kanohi (traditional tattoo that covers the face, while a moko kauae is on the chin only of women).…
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Kiwi’s common concerns of AI
One.nz released their AI Trust Report New Zealanders’ attitudes towards AI in 2025 today. Interestingly, it aligns to the research done by the AI Forum, PSA, InternetNZ, DataCom and many other New Zealand initiated research on AI. While One.nz report didn’t mention Māori or Pacifika, it did report on specific concerns about women and elderly,…
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Māori stats re AI, FRT and Privacy
The latest research by the Privacy Commission “Research on Privacy Concerns and Use of Personal Information March 2025” has a significant focus on Māori views which is welcomed. There is a concentration on Facial Recognition Technologies (FRT) reinforcing well established facts. The limited AI questions could have been more extensive, and should have included Algorithms…
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Trust, attitudes and use of AI in NZ
The global study titled “Trust, attitudes and use of Artificial Intelligence: A global study 2025” reveals that while a significant portion of New Zealanders regularly use AI, their trust in the technology is notably low. Concerns about risks associated with AI are prevalent, indicating a need for improved regulation and assurance. I have taken the…
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AI with Māori IP, Art and Reo
Following on from my two previous successful online webinars Artificial Intelligence Impacts and Preparation for Māori – Environment and Employment, on June 05, 2025 at 1pm I will be discussing the implications and benefits of AI with Māori IP, Art and Reo Māori. Free registration is here . The tickets are capped at 125 and have been…
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AI is changing Māori culture
It’s a cultural norm for Māori to mihi or greet people with a ‘Kia ora’ or other salutation when in person and written communications, and over the recent years in online video. In the early 2000’s when email was relatively new, many Māori would include several sentences to a paragraph of mihimihi in each email…
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Māori and AI Book Chapter
I had the privilege to contribute a chapter about benefits to Māori in the book ” Ten perspectives on Artificial Intelligence: in a rapidly evolving technology landscape, we need a strategic and ethical approach to AI in Aotearoa. Published April 2025 by the Public Service Association (PSA). I explore how Māori have the unique opportunity to…
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Risks of AI Action Figure Trend
The AI action figure trend, where users generate personalised or stylised figures using AI tools (like custom avatars, toy-like images, or even physical 3D printed models based on AI renderings) carries several risks, particularly around privacy, ethics, cultural appropriation, and deepfake potential. From a Māori perspective, the AI action figure trend presents serious risks associated…
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Intro to Facial Recognition bias
Now, more than ever, it is important to learn the basics of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) bias and the impacts on Māori communities. Recent developments include: New Zealand considering Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) for retail stores with an advisory panel of no Māori, AI drones for the military, government agencies and employment recruiters are using…
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NZ AI Productivity Report and Māori
The Artificial Intelligence Forum of New Zealand (AI Forum) Te Kāhui Atamai Iahiko o Aotearoa, a purpose-driven, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) funded by members, released their second edition of it’s biannual “AI in Action report Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on New Zealand’s Productivity ” which also for the first time introduced a Te Ao…
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AI Principles in Aotearoa NZ
AI principles guide the ethical development and deployment of AI systems by companies and other organisations, while AI disclaimers are statements that acknowledge AI-generated content or outcomes – see my previous post for more details. There is an international best practice benchmark set by the OECD which is widely accepted and adapted by many countries.…
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Reo Māori in Russian disinformation network
In 2014, I wrote how Google Translate brought te reo Māori into the new digital world with Spam and Phishing, etc. Now Artificial Intelligence (AI) is using te reo Māori in many new ways, including by the Russian backed Pravda group to provide news/disinformation to New Zealanders. Artificial Intelligence is deploying te reo Māori in…
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Monthly Te Ao Māori AI Webinars
I am now offering free webinars from a Te Ao Māori perspective to assist Māori communities and those who interact with Māori communities and AI to better understand the risks and benefits of AI, and to attempt to myth bust some of the many incorrect rumours and fears in the communities, particularly in te ao…
