34178 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Health

34178 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Health: What procurement process, if any, was used for purchasing artificial intelligence tools, if any, currently being used within the Minister’s departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any?

Hon Simeon Brown: I am advised that the Ministry of Health's procurement of AI tools was in accordance with the Government Procurement Rules and the Ministry’s procurement policies and delegations. This has included the use of existing government contracts and licensed software agreements. I am advised that that the following procurement approaches have been used for the acquisition of artificial intelligence (AI) tools currently in use within Health New Zealand: • Direct sourcing of software products through existing All-of-Government contracts • Exemption-based procurement processes for pilots, prototypes and evaluations • Consolidation of existing legacy arrangements • Technical continuity exemptions. I am further advised that these approaches reflect the nature of the requirement, the maturity of the technology, and any existing government contractual arrangements.