The intention, audience and scope of this guidance

The intended purpose, target audience and scope of this interim guidance about public service use of GenAI tools.

Download a one-page summary or the full interim guidance in PDF format:

Interim GenAI guidance for the public service — Summary (PDF 230 KB)

Interim GenAI guidance for the public service — Full guidance (PDF 193 KB)

Note: This is interim advice and will be reviewed as AI and GenAI evolves and the risks are better understood.

Purpose of this guidance

This guidance provides initial advice from the data, digital, privacy, procurement, and security System Leaders about Public Service use of GenAI tools. This guidance is intended to support agencies to make more informed decisions about using GenAI, balancing benefits and risks.

Intended audience and scope

While we recognise that this guidance could have broader application and usefulness beyond the Public Service, it's intended for Public Service AI practitioners and decision-makers. This advice is the first collective effort of System Leaders to help agencies start to trial and use this new class of technology safely, ethically and in privacy-protecting ways.

An interim measure as technology evolves

This guide provides ‘guardrails’ supporting safe learning of GenAI tools and may be updated as the technology evolves and the risks and impact are better understood.

It's an interim measure while longer-term plans for broader GenAI, AI and other emerging technologies issues are developed and progressed by System leads. Work on economy wide opportunities and impacts, and NZ wide regulatory settings may also be needed.

We recommend that your organisation’s data, digital, privacy, procurement and security leaders work together to create your organisation’s policy and standards for trialling and using GenAI.

What next?

This guide is interim advice that will be reviewed as AI and GenAI evolves, and as risks are better understood.

There is a need for further work to consider the longer-term issues and opportunities, and any further actions required for public service, wider society and economy, and our regulatory settings. 

While this initial advice is focussed on the public service, longer term plans for a broader look at AI issues and opportunities for New Zealand are being developed and progressed by System and Policy Leads. 

For inquiries or questions, contact:

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