Foreword from the Minister of Science, Innovation & Technology
Artificial intelligence (AI) represents one of the most significant technological opportunities of our time. For New Zealand, embracing AI is not merely an option, it is essential for maintaining our competitiveness, attracting global talent, and delivering the productivity gains our economy needs to thrive.
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The Government’s flagship economic approach, Going for Growth, recognises the transformative potential of AI. This strategy outlines the Government’s commitment to creating an environment where New Zealand businesses can adopt and innovate with AI technologies with confidence. We are signalling our unwavering support for private sector investment in AI. The economic potential is extraordinary; industry research suggests that adopting generative AI alone could add $76 billion to the New Zealand economy by 2038, or over 15% of our GDP (Microsoft, 2024).
Until now, New Zealand was the only OECD country that had not published an AI strategy, and most New Zealand organisations are still early in their exploration and adoption of AI. The time has come for New Zealand to get moving on AI. The Government wants local businesses to invest with confidence in this transformative technology, and so the strategic approach we have taken is deliberately focused on practical adoption rather than high-end development.
New Zealand’s strength lies in being smart adopters, tailoring this powerful technology to solve our unique challenges in agriculture, healthcare, education, and beyond. We will leverage AI to enhance our existing competitive advantages whilst building the capability to create niche solutions that reflect our values and circumstances.
This strategy complements the work being undertaken by Hon Judith Collins KC, Minister for Digitising Government, who is driving adoption of AI within the public sector.
Together, these initiatives will position New Zealand as a leader in responsible AI adoption, demonstrating effective use of this transformative technology by a small, advanced economy.
The Government aims to encourage investment in AI adoption by reducing uncertainty, removing unintended and unwanted barriers to AI in legislation, and providing clear guidance on responsible AI innovation within New Zealand’s existing legal framework. This strategy confirms New Zealand’s adoption of the OECD’s AI Principles, aligning our approach with international best practice and confirms New Zealand’s commitment to innovation, transparency, and human rights.
My message to our business community is: invest with confidence in AI. The Government wants greater use of AI in business and stands ready to support your AI journey through guidance, and policies that enable rather than constrain innovation.
To our international partners: New Zealand offers a stable, forward-thinking environment for AI development and testing, backed by strong governance and a commitment to responsible innovation.
This strategy document was written with the assistance of AI. This demonstrates our commitment to ’walk the talk’ on AI while maintaining appropriate safeguards for sensitive information. This reflects our commitment to transparent and responsible use of AI in government. The future is AI-powered. New Zealand is ready for it.
Hon Dr Shane Reti,
Minister of Science, Innovation & Technology