34211 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology

34211 (2026). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology: 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 Penny Simmonds: As Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, I have no responsibility for any government departments. With regard to agencies, Crown entities and other bodies under the Science, Innovation and Technology portfolio, I am advised that Microsoft Copilot is generally provided through existing Microsoft licensing arrangements, including All-of-Government and Department of Internal Affairs-negotiated agreements. However, limited licences for other artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT and Claude, have been purchased under delegated authority for testing purposes and did not require a formal competitive procurement process under the Government Procurement Rules.