Hon Judith Collins KC
Minister of Science, Innovation & Technology
Minister for Digitising Government

The Government is joining the UK’s Bletchley Declaration on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, and for Digitising Government Judith Collins says.

“AI used responsibly can be a game changer for New Zealand, supporting productivity, innovation, and economic development,” Ms Collins says.

“The UK’s Bletchley Declaration is an important international agreement which affirms the potential that AI offers for society and for economies. To achieve this, AI must be designed, developed, deployed and used responsibly and safely, and in a manner that is people-focused and can be trusted.

“In May we signed the Seoul Ministerial Statement for Advancing AI Safety which, coupled with the Bletchley Declaration and Cabinet’s confirmed approach to AI being in accordance with the OECD’s AI Principles, solidifies our focus on the responsible use of AI.

“Important safety standards and pressure will be applied on the international stage, and New Zealand is proud to be part of global efforts towards responsible AI.”

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has developed an initial cross-portfolio which focuses on policy changes, while the Department of Internal Affairs’ Government Chief Digital Officer is leading work to support public sector agencies to explore safe use of AI for efficiency and service delivery improvements.

“The Government will next year consult publicly on a national AI strategy to encourage greater use of AI to deliver better results for New Zealanders,” Ms Collins says.

“I am confident that all the work under way will form a coherent approach to AI in New Zealand – delivering greater productivity, innovation and growing New Zealand’s economy to benefit all New Zealanders,” Ms Collins says.

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