Dr Karaitiana Taiuru
Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, a respected researcher, advocate, and thought leader in technology and Indigenous rights, delivered a powerful keynote address. With over 30 years of experience in the IT sector, Dr Taiuru brings a wealth of knowledge to the complex intersections of artificial intelligence (AI), ethics, and Māori data sovereignty.
A central theme of Dr Taiuru’s presentation was the importance of Māori communities retaining control over their digital and cultural data. He emphasised that despite limited financial or human resources, many free tools and platforms are available to help communities achieve this vital goal. Dr Taiuru is currently focused on AI ethics and governance across both public and private sectors. He called for "mythbusting" around common misconceptions about AI, noting that while concerns exist, they are often overstated or misunderstood.
“AI is not something to fear,” he said. “It’s about understanding it and managing it in ways that align with our values and needs. It’s also essential that indigenous communities have discussions around AI. It is only intelligent when we give it our knowledge and if we do not share that knowledge then we will be at risk of digital colonisation. AI will guess and make assumptions about what our knowledge is. The counter argument to that is that if we do share we risk intellectual property rights abuse. These are the paths for Māori to navigate.”
Dr Taiuru outlined and defined the four steps to protect mātauranga Māori with AI including:
- Define and understand what is Māori data and what is Māori data governance.
- Engage with Māori stakeholders for tapu and noa.
- Label your Māori data.
- Create and implement Te Tiriti and tikanga based principles applicable to your organisation.
Dr Taiuru then went on to refine how to address these issues using legal instruments and court decisions. He also shared valuable advice about individual organisations using best practice to customise their principles and plans about how they will use AI within their organisation, how they will incorporate AI into existing data and governance frameworks, looking at their own internal tikanga values such as manaakitanga and how these are applicable to the implementation of AI across a business and treating data as a taonga.
In separate conversations Dr Taiuru addressed one of the most pervasive fears—that AI will replace human jobs—and offered a more nuanced perspective. While acknowledging that some roles may become redundant, he pointed to research suggesting that AI is more likely to create new employment opportunities than eliminate them.
“We will always need people to train AI systems, validate outputs, and provide expert knowledge. This will generate new roles in sectors like logistics, education, and technology. Human input will remain essential,” he explained.
However, Dr Taiuru also highlighted the environmental and ethical costs associated with AI. He noted the substantial resource demands of AI technologies—for example, every sentence generated by systems like ChatGPT requires approximately half a litre of water to cool the servers involved. The increasing consumption of electricity and the use of rare earth minerals, often mined in underregulated environments, also raise serious concerns about sustainability and labour exploitation. This point proved to be a key discussion at several of the conference workshops and panel discussions.
Intellectual property (IP) risks were another focus of Dr Taiuru’s address. As AI becomes more prevalent, the potential for IP theft—especially of Indigenous knowledge—grows. He urged organisations to take this threat seriously and implement clear safeguards.
Despite the challenges, Dr Taiuru remains optimistic about AI's potential to enhance learning and improve access to information. He noted that AI offers capabilities beyond traditional search engines and can help develop innovative educational resources— provided that its use is approached with care.
“I strongly advise users not to input confidential or sensitive information into AI systems, as these platforms are not secure. And always fact-check outputs—AI is not infallible. This is especially critical for minority communities and women, who are often underrepresented in datasets.”
Dr Taiuru concluded with a call to action: embrace AI butdo so responsibly. He stressed the importance of ethical frameworks, strong governance, and learner protection in the adoption of AI technologies.
“There is a wealth of free online training available to support small organisations in navigating this space. I encourage you to take advantage of these resources to protect both your staff and your learners.”