The New Zealand Government has released guidance relating to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the private sector (Guidance). The Guidance is intended to apply on a voluntary basis and provides high level advice about the management of risks arising from the development, deployment and adoption of AI systems.
The Guidance follows the release of AI guidance for the public sector earlier this year and forms a core part of New Zealand's long-awaited national AI Strategy (AI Strategy).
The AI Strategy and Guidance are, together, focused on accelerating the adoption of AI by organisations in the public and private sectors by helping them use AI technologies "with confidence".
AI Strategy
The AI Strategy confirms the Government's "light-touch and principles-based" approach to AI policy in New Zealand by removing legislative barriers to AI. The Government signals that it will take an "agile" approach to AI regulation, by only updating New Zealand's existing regulatory frameworks, and addressing "new" AI risks with legislation, as and when needed.
The Government also signals its support for the adoption and use of AI in the private sector (including by releasing the Guidance) but makes it clear that it will ultimately be up to businesses, not government, to invest in AI.
Guidance
The Guidance has been developed to help New Zealand businesses manage risks involved with the use of AI systems and to use them in a trustworthy way. The Guidance is designed to assist all New Zealand businesses, regardless of size or industry, and is focused on users, developers and deployers of AI systems.
The Guidance canvasses a range of things for businesses to consider when using, developing or deploying AI, including cybersecurity, privacy, workplace, and intellectual property considerations. The Guidance is structured into the following three sections:
- Understanding your "why" for AI – to encourage a clear understanding of the purpose, principles and objectives for the use / development of an AI system.
- Good business foundations for responsible AI – to help businesses use / develop trustworthy AI systems safely and effectively.
- Specific AI system considerations – to provide guidance on managing AI-specific risks and issues including the use of data and AI outputs, as well as human-in-the-loop decision making.
The Guidance is intended to be used on a voluntary basis and in conjunction with relevant legal requirements and industry guidance.
Next steps
The Government has signalled its intention to build on the Guidance over time in partnership with New Zealand businesses and to reflect emerging international practice. We will continue to monitor for changes to the Guidance and other developments in the AI space.
If you would like to discuss the use of AI systems within your organisation, please get in touch with one of our experts listed below.