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In this episode, Tom Maasland, a Partner in MinterEllisonRuddWatts’ Technology team, talks to Madeline Newman, Executive Director of the AI Forum of New Zealand (AI Forum). 

Tom and Madeline discuss the use of AI in New Zealand, including the development of a national AI strategy, government engagement, and the AI Forum’s upcoming summit.

[00:43 - 03:56 ] Madeline and Tom discuss the AI Forum’s recent workshop hosted by MinterEllisonRuddWatts. They highlight the six key action areas explored for leveraging AI in New Zealand. They talk about the impact of generative AI and government interest. Madeline mentions the AI Forum's initiatives including the AI governance website. 

[03:56 - 07:08 ] The pair discuss the need for ambitious strategic goals, key sectors for AI application in New Zealand and talk about the draft vision of the AI blueprint. 

[07:08 - 10:18 ] Madeline talks about the importance of AI adoption at individual and organisational levels. She discusses accessibility and digital equality, the value of New Zealand’s data sources, talent pool and success stories from the health sector. 

[10:18 - 5:22 ] Madeline then highlights the adoption of AI to drive economic growth. She gives examples of AI tools for personal and professional use and outlines safety and privacy considerations for AI tool usage. She encourages the audience to play around with the use AI in creative fields like music and video generation. Tom and Madeline then discuss the use of AI in education from AI tutors that personalised learning and ways AI can be used to support teachers.

[15:22 -18:29 ] The pair then talk about the steps that are needed for New Zealand to become a global AI leader, the importance of changing risk appetites and unlocking better systems. They discuss about the need for educational and upskilling initiatives to prepare the workforce for job changes due to AI advancements.

[18:29 - 21:11 ] Tom asks Madeline about the trust New Zealanders have in AI. They compare New Zealand’s position on trust compared with the UK and Australia. They then discuss homegrown AI solutions, AI in healthcare, and the need for effective AI policies and international collaboration.

[24:00 - 28.00] Finally, Madeline and Tom discuss the exploration of future AI trends and technologies, and talk about the upcoming AI Forum summit.

Links and Resources

• AI Forum of New Zealand
• Previous podcast episode on Copyright and AI

Information in this episode is accurate as at the date of recording, Friday 21 June 2024.

Please contact Tom Maasland or our Technology team if you need legal advice and guidance on any of the topics discussed in the episode.

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For show notes and additional resources visit minterellison.co.nz/podcasts