Tech Suite | Future Forward: Public Sector AI initiatives with Callaghan Innovation

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In this episode, Senior Associate Kate Cruickshank in our Corporate and Commercial team, talks with Sarah Sun, Head of Digital & AI Whare, and Jenna Whitman, Chief Information Security Officer at government agency Callaghan Innovation, about the latest AI initiatives it has helped develop to support NZ businesses: The AI Activator and GovGPT.

[00:55] Kate begins the episode outlining recent developments in AI policy and direction in New Zealand, noting how the recently announced AI Activator initiative and GovGPT pilot programme, sit within wider government aims to support AI innovation and growth in New Zealand. 

[01:40] Sarah and Jenna provide background information about Callaghan Innovation, a government agency that acts to foster innovation and the growth of New Zealand businesses by connecting the government, academia, and industry.

[06:02] Sarah discusses the nature of the AI Activator and how it was developed as a joint project between government agencies. She outlines it’s three basic pillars; problem-solving, upskilling, and fostering community, noting how these pillars are designed to help New Zealand businesses adopt AI more effectively and efficiently. 

[09:04] Sarah then explains to Kate how businesses can access and use the AI Activator through the Callaghan Innovation website. 

[09:37] Jenna then discusses GovGPT and how it was created as a ‘digital front door’ for businesses to easily navigate government services, noting that it leverages Microsoft’s technology stack to develop a scalable, multilingual platform suited for New Zealand’s unique context.

[13:28] Kate and Jenna discuss the technical details of GovGPT and why users can be confident of its outputs, when the public pilot of GovGPT is released in mid-October. 

Information in this episode is accurate as at the date of recording, 24 September 2024.

Please contact Kate Cruickshank or our technology team if you need legal advice and guidance on any of the topics discussed in the episode.

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