What is a Māori Data and Emerging Technology Ethicist?

In relation to Data and new and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, Robotics and Māori Data Sovereignty etc. an ethicist’s role is to create and use guidelines that advise on the design and outcomes of the technology and their impacts on humans and society.  The foundations are often use Greek philosophy (Aristotle, Plato, etc.) and western morals.

As a Māori technology ethicist, in addition to western guidelines, I use tikanga, mātauranga, Māori traditional knowledge (pūrākau) and
their rich philosophical lessons to help explain and guide developments from a Māori perspective. In addition, the guiding
principles of He Whakaputanga, Te Tiriti, WAI 2522 (TPPA Claim), WAI 262 (IP Claim), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP),  Māori Data Sovereignty Principles and the recent Supreme Court judgement Peter Hugh McGregor Ellis v R [2022] NZSC 115, 07 October 2022 which recognises Tikanga Māori is common law and applicable in the legal system.

By doing this, a Māori world view is considered and there is much less likelihood that there will be bias and discriminatory data and systems outputs that harm Māori.

Why is it important to include Māori ethicists in the development of AI?

We have seen multiple systems in Education, Health, Corrections, Global warming, Justice etc., all fail Māori as they were designed, implemented and managed by non-Māori to cater to and for Māori.

We have already seen the intergenerational impacts of western views being used to create solutions for Māori including the Native Schools Act, Tohunga Suppression Act, Hunn Report and many other failed initiatives government lead initiatives.

So now terms such as co design are common terms in New Zealand as we have seen intergenerational impacts to Māori due to not co designing. AI and other emerging technologies will be the same without Māori ethics and engagement.

Internationally we have already seen many examples in America where new technologies that are largely created by middle class, white men from middle class backgrounds ignores minorities and in fact is bias and discriminates as the technologies were built and designed in the reflection of their creators (white men) and not reflective of society. For example, facial recognition technologies that could not see People of Colour or interpreted them as a non-human species, false facial matches by Police with People of Colour leading to innocent people being shot, killed and arrested.

Historically, the first major technological discrimination was the introduction of the Internet and the digital divide. The heavy reliance on it for Education, despite Māori statistically not having access to the Internet. Then the Harmful Digital Communications Act, that was to provide safety for people online had little or no Māori consultation or ethical considerations resulting in Māori being overrepresented as online victims. One more example, the government created an Algorithm charter to protect New Zealanders with algorithms, again with little or no Māori ethical consideration. The result was a Charter that could be used to discriminate against Māori by simply claiming ignorance.

It is also widely acknowledged that technologies such as AI will create a new ‘industrial revolution’. Some say it has already started. As New Zealanders and companies that operate in New Zealand, we all have a commitment to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi which include:

• “Māori self-determination and mana motuhake in the design, delivery, and monitoring of new systems that will impact on Māori society and individuals.
• Equity which requires the Crown to commit to achieving equitable outcomes for Māori
• Active protection, which requires the Crown to act, to the fullest extent practicable, to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori.
• Options which require the Crown to ensure services adn products are provided in a culturally appropriate
• Partnership, which requires the Crown and Māori to work in partnership in the governance, design, delivery, and monitoring of new technologies.