New Zealand govt sees urgent need to upskill in AI

An action plan and ethical framework are critical to ensuring that people are educated and upskilled on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This is according to New Zealand Minister for Government Digital Services and Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Clare Curran. Curran spoke about the issue at the launch of the Artificial Intelligence: Shaping a Future New Zealand report, which outlines the opportunities and challenges for New Zealand in adopting AI. "An ethical framework will give people the tools to participate in conversations about AI and its implications in our society and economy," Curran said. "As a first step and because of the importance of ethics and governance issues around AI, I will be formalising the government's relationship with Otago University's NZ Law Foundation Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies. "There are economic opportunities but also some pressing risks and ethical challenges with AI, and New Zealand is lagging behind comparable countries in its work in these areas.