25930 (2026). Hon Phil Twyford to the Minister of Immigration

Written Question

Published date: 19 Jun 2026

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	25930 (2026)
Question asked:	04 Jun 2026
Member asking:	Hon Phil Twyford
Portfolio:	Minister of Immigration
Minister replying:	Hon Erica Stanford
Answer received:	15 Jun 2026
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_25930_2026
Document guid:	48ff04d2-b3df-4475-8013-81c31a61fac8

25930 (2026). Hon Phil Twyford to the Minister of Immigration: Has Artificial Intelligence been used as part of the Biometric Capability Upgrade; if so, which artificial intelligence software has been used?

Hon Erica Stanford: I am advised that INZ has used Artificial Intelligence in the form of biometric matching algorithms since 2016. One of the goals of the Biometric Capability Update (BCU) was to update the biometric algorithms responsible for facial and fingerprint matching. The BCU did not use any other form of (analytical, predictive, generative, or agentic) Artificial Intelligence. The BCU project has now been discontinued and a review into its failure will be commissioned by the Public Service Commission.