332 (2026). Scott Willis to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology

332 (2026). Scott Willis to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology: What steps, if any, is the Minister taking to align New Zealand AI regulation with international standards?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: In July 2025, New Zealand launched its first AI Strategy, alongside the Responsible AI Guidance for Business, establishing a national framework for the responsible and confident adoption of AI. The Strategy defines the Government’s role as enabling innovation while managing risk, reaffirming Cabinet’s commitment to a light touch, proportionate, risk based regulatory approach. This approach aligns with the OECD AI Principles, including respect for the rule of law, human rights, democratic values, fairness, transparency, privacy, robustness, security, and safety, with the objective of fostering innovation while maintaining public trust. New Zealand’s existing online harm framework already provides safeguards relevant to AI enabled content: • The Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 (HDCA) criminalises the intentional posting of digital communications designed to cause harm. • The Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (FVPC Act) classifies publications as objectionable - and therefore illegal - where they depict sex, horror, crime, cruelty, or violence in a manner injurious to the public good and provides enforcement and takedown powers. • These, alongside privacy, cybersecurity, criminal, and human rights legislation, enable civil and criminal responses to harms such as deepfakes. Industry codes and technical standards are increasingly important forms of ‘soft regulation’. New Zealand actively participates in the ISO/IEC joint technical committees on AI and cybersecurity (including ISO/IEC JTC 1 workstreams), contributing to the development of internationally recognised AI standards that are often adopted domestically. Internationally, New Zealand has endorsed the Bletchley, Seoul, and Paris AI Safety Declarations, signalling alignment with global partners on responsible AI development grounded in democratic values. New Zealand also contributes to the International AI Safety Report, led by the UK AI Safety Institute, which brings together experts from over 30 countries to assess emerging AI risks and coordinate international responses. Cybersecurity is recognised as a foundational enabler of safe AI use. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides threat intelligence, tools, and guidance to government, businesses, and individuals, including AI specific guidance developed in collaboration with partners in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Overall, New Zealand’s AI approach is internationally aligned, standards driven, and grounded in global best practice, with an ongoing commitment to active participation in international forums to shape interoperable regulatory frameworks, shared norms, and cross border standards for safe and trustworthy AI.