38380 (2024). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Education

38380 (2024). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister of Education: How, if at all, are the Minister's departments, if any, currently using AI, and what plans, if any, have been developed to manage the risks associated with AI?

Hon Erica Stanford: As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being incorporated into many of the third-party services and tools (such as Microsoft Teams) used by the Ministry of Education (the Ministry), I am advised that the Ministry has clear guidelines on how its staff can use AI and Generative AI safely in their work. These guidelines can be found on the Ministry’s intranet. In particular, these guidelines limit general use of AI for sensitive information and aligns with the AI policy guidance provided by the Department of Internal Affairs. The Ministry will continue to assess how AI can be safely used by its staff to improve individual and group productivity. I am advised that the New Zealand Qualifications Association (NZQA) currently has an AI policy that outlines how NZQA can use AI safely, particularly focussing on limiting the general use of AI for sensitive information and ensuring the role of human judgement. It aligns with the AI policy thinking of the Department of Internal Affairs. NZQA is currently running small projects internally to investigate if AI could improve productivity and customer experience. Additionally, NZQA is utilising its in-house Data Science team, who have AI skills, to assist in NCEA assessment authenticity and integrity. NZQA has also invested in a Data Science platform that will allow for safe and controlled use of AI for targeted projects. The AI work will be governed by a cross-organisation Data Governance Committee. I am advised that the Education Review Office does not currently use AI in its work. In line with guidance issued by the New Zealand Government Joint Systems Leads, organisation-wide guidelines on the use of AI are under development.