Human Rights Commission calls for human rights-centred, Te Tiriti-based approach to AI

The Human Rights Commission has advocated for a human rights-centric, Te Tiriti-based approach to artificial intelligence and digital technologies in Aotearoa. The commission's latest report, "AI and Digital Technologies: A Human Rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi Approach," emphasized the importance of Māori data sovereignty and the incorporation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles into AI development and governance.

Dayle Takitimu, a governance partner of Indigenous Rights, noted that Te Tiriti provided essential guidance for New Zealand's approach, recognizing tino rangatiratanga, protecting taonga, and ensuring Māori are active partners in shaping Aotearoa's digital future. The report highlighted potential benefits of AI, such as improved healthcare access, education, and public services, while also identifying risks like privacy breaches, discrimination, and digital exclusion.

Senior Human Rights advisor Sophie Bradwell-Pollack stressed that these risks were particularly significant for Māori, as data could encompass far more than just individual information, including taonga, language, and culture. She emphasized that a human rights-based approach, encompassing transparency, participation, and accountability, needed to underpin how AI was used in Aotearoa.

The government, actively pursuing AI and digital tool integration across public services, recognized human rights and Te Tiriti obligations applied regardless of the medium, whether writing on paper or using a computer. Bradwell-Pollack warned that human rights and Te Tiriti obligations must not disappear with technological advancements, providing a trusted framework to guide AI governance for the benefit of all.