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Letter

To: Rt Hon Christopher Luxon and Rt Hon Chris Hipkins
Cc: Rt Hon Winston Peters, Hon Marama Davidson and Hon Chlöe Swarbrick,
       Hon Rawiri Waititi and Hon Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Hon David Seymour

Both of your parties have spoken about the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As experts, we know this technology’s potential more than most. However, any powerful technology needs good governance, and AI is no exception.

Aotearoa New Zealand, much like the rest of the world, currently stands at a crossroads. We are at a crucial point in history, where we as a nation must decide how AI will influence our lives. We all want New Zealand to prosper. And we agree that AI has a major role to play. But it must be used in a safe and responsible manner. We need strong bipartisan leadership to achieve this.

Many New Zealanders do not trust AI. In fact, we’re ranked third-to-last of 47 nations in global AI trust statistics. We’re also ranked poorly in reports like the Global Index on Responsible AI and Government AI Readiness Index, well behind our OECD partners.

It is not surprising that we’re untrusting. AI is being hyped by major tech companies worldwide, who often overstate the capabilities of their products. And for every positive article or press release, there is another news story highlighting AI harms. These harms are numerous and urgent: the proliferation of gender-based online harm, child sexual abuse imagery, fraud, algorithmic bias, hallucinations, misappropriation of intellectual property and art, workforce upheaval, detrimental environmental impacts, and even the use of AI to undermine democracy itself.

Of course, AI can also be an incredible tool for good. Our regulatory response must be proportional, focusing on managing the risks of AI so that it can benefit us all. Regulation is not about red tape or stopping innovation. It is about providing businesses, researchers, and the public with clear parameters within which to innovate safely and to build public trust. This could be through either new overarching AI legislation or a revision of existing laws to ensure they are fit for purpose.

We, as AI experts, are calling on you to lead a bipartisan effort to produce risk management-based AI regulation and to establish a national AI oversight body. The laws and policies that we put in place now will decide the impact of AI in New Zealand for decades and generations to come. We are ready and willing to assist in this effort.

Nā mātou, nā

Dr Andrew Lensen & Christopher McGavin, LensenMcGavin AI
Dr Cassandra Mudgway, University of Canterbury

Expert Signatories

Dr Andrew Lensen, LensenMcGavin AI & Victoria University of Wellington
Christopher McGavin, LensenMcGavin AI
Dr Cassandra Mudgway, University of Canterbury
Dr Joshua Yuvaraj, University of Auckland
Professor Ali Knott, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Michael Daubs, University of Otago
Dr Olivia Erdelyi, University of Canterbury
Allyn Robins, Personal Capacity
Emeritus Professor Anthony Robins, University of Otago
Dr Andrew Chen, Personal Capacity
Dr Ethan Plaut, University of Auckland
Caleb Moses, Dragonfly Digital
Associate Professor Peter Thompson, Victoria University of Wellington
Associate Professor Ian Welch, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Kevin Shedlock, Victoria University of Wellington
Associate Professor Hui Ma, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Heitor Gomes, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Emily O’Riordan, Victoria University of Wellington
Lee Timutimu, Personal Capacity
Frith Tweedie, Simply Privacy
Dr Olivier Jutel, University of Otago
aimee whitcroft, Data 4D & Smart Cities Council & Open Data Charter
Associate Professor Marcus Frean, Victoria University of Wellington
Professor Grant Dick, University of Otago
Dr Veronica Liesaputra, University of Otago
Professor Brendan McCane, University of Otago
Professor Stephen Cranefield, University of Otago
Associate Professor Stephen Hill, Massey University
Dr Lech Szymanski, University of Otago
Professor Alexandra Andhov, University of Auckland
Professor Michael Winikoff, Victoria University of Wellington

Public Signatories

As of 03/09/25

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Polly Mckinnon
Paul Thistoll, Rights Aotearoa
Dr Rebecca Downes, Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington
Caitlin Mills
Diana Yukich
Elizabeth Knox
Christine Price
Nicola Hopkins
Jennifer Ward
David James Thomsen
Anne Collins
Jordan MacLachlan
Toni Potter
Mandy Henk, MLS
Christopher Bell
Laura Black
Mike Kilpatrick
Renee Sturch
Frankie Karetai Wood-Bodley, Queerly Legal
Prof. Paul Kruger
Frankie Karetai Wood-Bodley
Jack Weekly, Bupper
Dr. Kevin Veale, Aotearoa Communication & Media Scholars
Craig Johnston
Dr Annisa Rahmalia, MPH
Amelia Bentley
Beverly Fletcher
Bianca Grizhar
Andrea Konnerth
Richard Littauer
Dave Lane, Lane Ventures Ltd
Helen Varley Jamieson
Elisabeth Caligari
Peter Fowler
Ally Doe
Liam Daly
Emily White
Róisín Harris
Dr Trish McMenamin
Isaac Freeman
Rebecca Wiliams
Dr. Kaan Demir
Ash Murphy
Maia Hall, Auckland Women’s Centre - Te Wāhi Wāhine o Tāmaki Makaurau
Associate Professor Barbara Allen, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Amanda Reilly, Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington
Prashanth Jayaprakash
James Gardner
Dongkyu Kang, a signatory from Korea.
Julianne Hickey, Fambirai
Samantha Murphy
Prof Steve Reeves, University of Waikato
Ana McAllister
Justin Kim
Naashon Zalk
PJ Manney
Dr Harisu Shehu, Victoria University of Wellington
Kat Greenbrook
Josh Mortensen
Dr Hendrik Jacob Stolk
Jacqueline Braid
Dr Danielle Julian
Rachel O’Brien
Dr Tze Ming Mok
Paula Browning
Simeon Lodge
Dr Ilija Tolich
Michael Gray
Richard Harrison
Lynn Peake
Rachel Ridley
Christopher Snyder
Chris Chetland, Music Production Guild of Aotearoa/NZ
Rachel Antony, Greenstone TV
Anne Campbell
Joanna Mcmenamin
Tristam Sparks, Massey University
Karepa Wall
Venetia King
Professor Joshua Fairfield, Washington and Lee University School of Law
Stephen Cope
Rebecca Robin
Georgina Till
Ailsa Cuthbert
Dr Andelka M. Phillips
Ben Creet
Courtney Collins
Charlotte Holden
Sorcha Ruth
Abigail Judson
Jennifer Nagle, The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Inc
Emma Pond
Murray Lynch, Playmarket
Alice Shearman, New Zealand Writers Guild | Puni Taatuhi o Aotearoa
Īhaka Martyn
Peter Benson - Principal AI Researcher, Neural Horizons Ltd
Louise Kellerman
Duane Leo, National Secretary, Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
Dr. David Thompson
Hannah Betts
Kay Ellmers, Ngā Aho Whakaari
Maxwell Clarke, MSc Machine Learning VUW
Mandy Hager
Dr Ben Smith, p-1.ai
Sioux Macdonald, Film Crew Services 1997 Ltd
Dr Eddyn Treacher
Sandy Gildea, Screen Producers NZ (Spada)
Allison Horsley
Daniel Watterson, founder W.E.L, LLB (Hons 1st)
Ruben Castaing
TIM PREBBLE
Cass Maughan
Mac Jordan
Adrian Hebron
Jiun Youn, Victoria University of Wellington
Stu Cole
Shane Bosher
AJ Mason, Innovation Queenstown
Richard Wagstaff, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi
Rachael McGregor
Dr Colin Beardon
Tui Ruwhiu, Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand
Courtney Sina Meredith, Publishers Association of New Zealand
Terry Bellamak
Prof Cheryl Brown, University of Canterbury
Marko George Alach
Kay Jones
Louise Carter
Daniella Curry
Amanda Aggio
Justin Ryan
Kate Edgar
Dagan McGregor
Dr Bronwyn Lennox Thompson
Carina Letizia Meares
Tania O’Regan
Lerk Shih Poh Stedman
Lani Raukawa Field
Abdullah Al Mamun , Victoria University of Wellington
Stephanie Fill
Dr Sarah Hendrica Bickerton
Barbara L Howe
Dr Douglas Campobell, University of Canterbury
Jo Oliver, Recorded Music NZ
Ana-Maria Mocanu
Patrick PIlcher
Helena Page
David Udy
Hamish Fraser
Dr Leon Salter
Steve Adams
Alexander van Wel
Samuel Mata
Melanie Laville-Moore, The Coalition for Books
Dr Erin Harrington
Shaun Sinclair
Dr Bill Rosenberg
Tom Hovey, Diagram
Nathan Hall
Frank Rueter, OHUfx
Anne-Marie Colebrook
Whetū Fala
Catherine Mules