Voters want stronger action on AI. Can NZ afford to keep taking a soft approach?

Getty Images Next month, ChatGPT will mark its fourth birthday.

In that short time, the popular chatbot and other generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools have transformed society as we know it.

Tech leaders have promised GenAI will unlock new levels of economic productivity and human prosperity.

Critics warn it could instead deepen inequality .

Whatever its long-term effects, the pressure to adopt it is growing.

New Zealand’s government expects agencies to use GenAI to create a leaner, more efficient public service .

Companies are pushing “AI-first” initiatives and spending heavily on GenAI services to make sure they aren’t left behind.

Most New Zealanders have now had some interaction with this technology, with more than half of us using it at least weekly.

Some are trying to limit their use because of concerns about environmental costs or the impact on creative industries .

But avoiding AI altogether is becoming increasingly difficult as it spreads through search engines, advertising and online content .

And while the current AI boom may eventually slow, GenAI is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

So how should New Zealand, a small nation far from the major economies hosting AI giants, learn to live with it? The next government has more choice than we might think.

Australia and other “ middle powers ” have already introduced controls to manage AI’s risks.

With the election approaching, and parties pitching a range of policies , New Zealand is overdue a serious debate about what safeguards it needs.