Dr Karaitiana Taiuru regularly composes blog posts on topics relating to Māori and Artificial Intelligence, Data Sovereignty, Safety, Cultural Appropriation and other related topics. Please subscribe to the RSS feed http://www.taiuru.co.nz/rss to keep up to date.
All posts
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AI Facial Detection Technology miss-identified 3 Māori men
Google AI search that uses Face Detection Technology miss-identified me and two other Māori men by interchanging images and representing the other men as me. Māori Data Sovereignty Principles could have protected us. The other Māori men are: Brian Dickey…
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Global Data Risks
Data Sovereignty is not just a Māori issue, but a global issue that New Zealand must address now. Another follow up report from my Māori Data Governance Report 2025, this article analyses corporate requirements for Data Sovereignty and the need…
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Critical Analysis of Te Mana Raraunga Data Principles
As a follow on from the findings of the State of the Nation Māori Data Governance 2025 Report, this is one of a series of articles analysing established Māori Data Governance Frameworks with a Te Ao Māori and Data Governance…
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Reo Māori with Artificial Intelligence
A quick snapshot of the usage of the Māori language in the New Zealand Artificial Intelligence communities, while also celebrating The Māori Language Week for 2025. Translations for Artificial Intelligence There are a number of Māori words that are used…
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Māori Data Governance Report
This report examines the current landscape of Māori data sovereignty and governance in New Zealand. The research, conducted over 12 months, underscores the critical importance of Māori data sovereignty in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent bias and uphold…
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NZ AI productivity report 3 and Māori
The AI Forum released their third “BI-ANNUAL SNAPSHOT AI IN ACTION Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on New Zealand’s Productivity“. This is the second consecutive time Māori and the first time Pacific Peoples are included. The report recognises that…
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Protecting Māori from AI and algorithmic bias
The digital future is being written right now. AI is already here. Māori are at a crossroads. Māori Data Sovereignty is now a must. In an increasingly digitised world, Artificial Intelligence systems and algorithms shape key aspects of daily life,…
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AI will not save our screen industry
Below is a script I used for a debate about if AI will replace humans in the Aotearoa screen industry at the Big Screen Symposium at Auckland University. It is a well-known fact that most of the world’s AI is…
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Hapū and Marae Data Sovereignty Podcast
Māori communities such as hapū, marae, taurahere, urban Māori and Māori organisation have always enacted sovereignty over their taonga, and in the digital age it has been no different. This podcast discusses the technical and grass roots level of Māori…
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Image of Māori women used in racist adverts
Aukaha News story of a Māori women Ellen Tamati was woken my her mokopuna today to hear that her image of her face and moko kauae has been used in racist billboards advertising anti Māori wards. A campaign by Hobson’s…
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Auckland Transport’s costly AI governance mistake
The basics of AI governance stakeholder interactions were ignored by Auckland Transport (AT) with the roll out of their Car Licence Plate Recognition system that automatically issues fines for all cars that are parked in a designated disabled car park,…
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New Zealand and Māori AI Sovereignty
This article considers why building sovereign AI capability within New Zealand is not just a technological imperative, it is a strategic necessity. Countries like Australia, Germany, Denmark and the EU are already planning and implementing Sovereign AI, while New Zealand…
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Māori AI Sovereignty Principles
Sovereign AI is about keeping control over our future and recognising Māori Data Sovereignty. Tino rangatiratanga mō tātou, ā, mō ngā uri ā muri ake nei The ability to create and control our destiny for generations to come. These principles…
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Gen AI for Ethical use of Mātauranga
Below is a Gen AI for Ethical use of Mātauranga template statement that can be copied and pasted for use in any educational facility, workplace or other organisation. Please be respectful of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License associated…
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AI generated video lessons of not what to do
This YouTube video clip is a perfect example of why AI will not replace our talented people in the screen industry. It was reported in RNZ and in the Spin Off. The Chat GPT AI generated video is just over…
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Explaining AI using whakatauki
I have over the years shared some mātauranga Māori and compared it to AI, I am hoping to revive our pre traditional practices of using pepeha, moemoea, waiata, oriori and other oral preservation and learning resources to assist Māori to…
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NZ AI Strategy released – Te Ao Māori
Yesterday the New Zealand Government released its AI Strategy and advise to small businesses. The Strategy aligns with OECD AI Principles and the Government says it will continue to work with international partners on global rules to support the responsible…
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Customary Māori Values and Copyright Legislation for Facial Recognition Technology (FRT)
For many years, I have written about Māori data sovereignty principles and 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,…
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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…
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Cyber activism removes Toitū te Tiriti Lawyer from social media
Toitū te Tiriti Lawyer, Tania Waikato who has become prominent online with sharing legal advise. She posts tutorials about how to write submissions against the racist Regulatory Standards Bill here in New Zealand and has been banned from Facebook. Her…
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Good news AI case study for Māori education
According to their media release, the Writer’s Toolbox is a New Zealand and Australian education company. They provide an educational writing programme, powered by patented AI, designed to help students master writing. It is having a serious impact on Māori…
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Scribble moko online protest
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. He commented about the Honourable Rawiri Waititi’s moko kanohi.…
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Kiwi’s common concerns of AI
One.nz released their AI Trust Report today. It covers New Zealanders’ attitudes towards AI in 2025. Interestingly, it aligns to the research done by the AI Forum, PSA, InternetNZ, and DataCom. Additionally, many other New Zealand initiated research on AI…
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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 Data Sovereignty views which is welcomed. There is a concentration on Facial Recognition Technologies (FRT) reinforcing…