Unregulated intelligence: NZ’s AI crossroads

Academics want regulation and oversight of AI technology to help build trust and provide a safe environment for innovation. (Image: Getty)

Peter Griffin

Wed, 03 Sep 2025

The call by more than 20 top New Zealand AI academics for urgent regulation and national oversight of artificial intelligence deserves robust support. Their open letter highlights Aotearoa’s lagging AI trust rankings and an urgent need for bipartisan, risk-based action. It might appear logical that our existing light-touch, hands-off approach to AI works in favour of quicker adoption of the technology, which leads to more innovation.However, apart from the Big Tech multinationals, which prefer a regulatory grey zone to legislation wi...

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