Year 1–2: Immediate Priorities (2026–2027)

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Context

The first two years should focus on assessment, planning, and quick wins — actions that build the foundation for larger changes while delivering immediate benefit.

Key areas to explore

National AI assessment — Commission a comprehensive assessment of AI's impact on NZ industries and workforce
Education pilot programmes — Launch AI literacy pilots in schools and vocational training
Regulatory review — Identify legislation that needs updating for AI
Data sovereignty framework — Establish principles and governance for NZ data sovereignty
Sovereign inference pilot — Begin scoping and procurement for government-owned AI inference infrastructure on open-source models
Transition support pilots — Trial reskilling programmes in the most affected sectors
Public engagement — National conversation about NZ's AI future

Party canvassing — making AI a political issue

A key Year 1 action: develop a standardised set of AI policy questions covering each major section of this document, and put them to all NZ political parties. Publish responses side-by-side on this site so voters can compare positions.

Why this matters:

Forces parties to articulate concrete positions on AI transition, not vague platitudes
Creates a public record — stated positions can be tracked against actual policy
Frames resource allocation as the core question: which parties are willing to invest in transition?
Relevant to the 2026 NZ election cycle and every cycle after

The question set should cover: workforce transition funding, education reform, sovereign infrastructure investment, data sovereignty, social safety net adequacy, and governance frameworks. Responses published as an interactive comparison matrix on the site.

Questions for contributors

What are the highest-priority actions for the first two years?
What quick wins could build public confidence in AI governance?
What assessment tools and frameworks should NZ adopt?
What questions should we put to political parties about AI transition?