19921 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Housing

Written Question

Published date: 05 Jun 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	19921 (2026)
Question asked:	20 May 2026
Member asking:	Francisco Hernandez
Portfolio:	Minister of Housing
Minister replying:	Hon Chris Bishop
Answer received:	01 Jun 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_19921_2026
Document guid:	39c63666-960b-4285-92bb-c2c00a23ae67

19921 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Housing: How, if at all, has artificial intelligence been deployed in a customer service function in the Minister’s departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any?

Hon Chris Bishop: Kāinga Ora advises me that, presently, there is one example of Artificial Intelligence being used in a customer service function: an agent that its call centre operators can use to search policies and procedures, and summarise call transcripts. Most AI tools currently in use are deployed for back-office or internal purposes, supporting staff rather than engaging directly with customers.