These guidelines are primarily intended to be used by New Zealand government agencies/departments and organisations engaging with digital projects involving New Zealand and Māori Data. There is a recommendation for an explicit Te Tiriti clause for any New Zealand government initiated and or procured Artificial Intelligence System, Algorithms and system that uses Māori Data.
These guidelines consider how Māori people and communities may be impacted by emerging technologies, with much less attention given to the role of Māori people as users and potential innovators. It is important for Māori involvement in the collection and analysis of data. There is a need for participation and agency in shaping AI and other digital systems agendas, recognising the importance of including Māori communities in tech development and in the design of policies, and the matter of Māori data sovereignty.
It would be a great injustice creating one set of ethics for Māori Data or any other system that uses Māori Data, as Māori culture is so diverse. The ethics required for a facial recognition system are at different ends of the spectrum than for a machine learning system with te reo Māori. Māori Data that is comprised of Māori Genetic Data involves a unique set of complex customary and Property Rights considerations. Therefore, these guidelines are intended to be a guide to creating a set of specific ethics for AI, Data and Algorithm projects using the guidance of expert Māori advisors.
To address some of these discrepancies, the proven kaupapa Māori frameworks are provided to work through. The Tikanga test will establish which data requires cultural consideration and what aspects of culture can be compromised. The data sovereignty guidelines allow a high-level scope, while the Data Ethical framework will ensure that the results from the Tikanga Test and the data sovereignty guidelines are treated in a culturally appropriate manner.
Also, included in the guidelines are a set of definitions to assist proper and reliable Te Tiriti and Te Ao Māori considerations of which will assist removing biases against Māori and will provide monitoring and protection mechanisms in a fair and ethical manner that also observes New Zealand’s commitment to Te Tiriti.
Large parts of my thesis were used for the following sections: What is Tikanga, Te Ao Māori Perspectives and Disclosure.