The launch of the new University of Otago Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Public Policy this week came with a caution it was important to be "up front" in addressing community concerns about the technology.
The centre is dedicated to exploring policy options for managing the introduction of AI technologies and to maximise their benefits and minimise potential harms.
University of Otago Associate Prof Colin Gavaghan, who is centre co-director with Prof James Maclaurin, said there was a danger of "throwing the baby out with the bath water" over the new predictive technologies.
Some AI-related decisions that could be made in New Zealand and in the United States involved serious matters for many people, including if they might be more likely to be deported, or held longer in prison, he said.
But "understandable" community concerns over how AI was operating could lead to a "lack of trust in predictive systems more generally".
"That would be a shame, because they do have the potential for real value," he said.
"That’s why it’s so important to address these concerns—about transparency, bias and all the rest — up front" and not to just react on an "ad hoc" basis when issues arose, he said.
Claims have been made that AI would boost the New Zealand economy by up to $53 billion by 2035, but controversies involving AI predictive analytics have recently hit government bodies, including ACC, Immigration New Zealand and the Ministry for Social Development. Broadcasting, communications, and digital media minister Clare Curran said at the launch there was an "urgent need for an action plan to address the opportunities and challenges for New Zealand in adopting AI".
That was why the Government had announced early this month it would be formalising its relationship with Otago University over AI issues.
There was "immense potential" for AI to transform the way New Zealanders lived, learned and worked. The new centre would help the Government and "all Kiwis" to adapt and take full advantage of the "vast opportunities" AI would bring, she said. The centre will study AI-related policies overseas, and co-ordinate existing related policy initiatives at Otago, including the New Zealand Law Foundation-funded Artificial Intelligence and Law in NZ Project.