EVENT BRIEFING
Meeting with Apple
Date:
7 April 2025
Priority:
Medium
Security
In Confidence
Tracking
REQ-0012404
classification:
number:
Purpose
To provide background material and suggested talking points to support your meeting with Josh
Machin, Head of Government Relations (ANZ), Apple, on Tuesday 8 April, 2025.
Recommendations
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recommends that you:
a
Note the background material and suggested talking points to support your meeting with Josh
Machin, Head of Government Relations (ANZ), Apple.
Noted
Sarah Box
Hon Dr Shane Reti
Acting Manager, Digital Futures Policy
Minister of Science, Innovation and
Labour, Science and Enterprise, MBIE
Technology
..... / ...... / ......
..... / ...... / ......
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Purpose
1.
You have agreed to an in-person meeting with Josh Machin, Head of Government Relations,
Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), Apple, on Tuesday 8 April, at 4:00pm to 4:30pm.
2.
A brief biography is included as Annex One. Suggested talking points are at Annex Two.
3.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss:
• Apple’s work in New Zealand,
• Partnerships across the tertiary education space,
• Apple’s approach to Artificial Intelligence.
Background
Apple is the largest company in the world
4.
Apple Inc, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, is an
American multinational technology company, headquartered in Cupertino, California. Apple
started as a personal computer company before evolving into a global leader in consumer
electronics, software, and digital services. Apple is considered the largest public company in
the world, with a market cap of $3.27 trillion1 prior to recent market instability. The present
Chief Executive Officer, Tim Cook, was appointed in 2011.
5.
From its founding, Apple has been known for its signature approach of integrated hardware-
software design. Every device that Apple makes is built around a proprietary operating
system, typically either the Mac OS or the iOS. This is central to the company's business
model. Developing its own hardware and software gives Apple a degree of control effectively
unique in the device industry, which has led to the company's reputation for reliable, powerful
machines. However, this approach also contributes to high costs and low interoperability.
Apple Intelligence
Partnerships
6.
Apple has partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into its operating systems, enabling
users to access its advanced capabilities - such as image and document understanding -
within Apple’s ecosystem. Siri, Apple’s digital assistant, can also utilise ChatGPT when
needed, but only with user consent before any data is shared. Apple has branded this
development as “Apple Intelligence,” describing it as a transformative step for Siri, enhancing
its language processing, image recognition, and document analysis capabilities.
7.
Apple’s AI strategy prioritises privacy, ensuring that requests sent to ChatGPT are not stored
by OpenAI and that users’ IP addresses remain obscured. Additionally, Apple is exploring AI
partnerships with Google, potentially offering users a choice between different AI models.
There have been some delays in releasing Apple Intelligence features, including for Siri, and
in the United States a federal lawsuit was filed in late March claiming Apple’s promotion of
now-delayed features constitutes false advertising and unfair competition.
Privacy vs. Transparency
8.
Apple Intelligence prioritises on-device AI processing, distinguishing itself from Google and
Microsoft, who rely on cloud-based AI to enhance their generative models. While Apple’s
1 As of early April 2025.
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approach reinforces user privacy, it limits the company’s ability to develop large-scale AI
models like ChatGPT or Gemini.
9.
However, Apple has faced criticism over its transparency in AI ethics. A proposal presented
at the 2024 Annual Shareholder meeting urging the company to disclose more details about
its AI practices, was rejected by the Apple Board, raising concerns about corporate secrecy.
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
Apple and Gaming
10. Despite not producing traditional gaming devices or creating games itself, Apple plays a
significant role in the gaming industry, particularly in mobile gaming. As well as games
available via the App Store (on which Apple charges a 30% fee for payable apps and in-app
purchases), the firm also offers services such as Apple Arcade with subscription access to
premium games. .
11. s 9(2)(g)(i)
New Zealand activities
Work with Government
12. Apple do not currently hold any All of Government contracts with the New Zealand
Government, nor do they supply services via the Government Chief Digital Office (GCDO)
Marketplace.
The Apple Foundation
13. This is an initiative designed to assist students with opportunities to learn coding and explore
careers in the growing app economy. In New Zealand, Apple has expanded this programme
to support Māori and Pasifika communities providing funding and support for a range of
initiatives described in detail below.
Apple Maps
14. Apple Maps now features Indigenous lands on both sides of the Tasman. In New Zealand,
Apple has collaborated with Indigenous cartographers and iwi to develop detailed place
cards and map icons, including one for marae. These enhancements extend across Apple’s
ecosystem, appearing in applications such as Find My Device, People Locator, Weather,
Messages, and Siri.
Digital Skills advancement
15. In 2023, Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology – and Apple launched
a pilot programme to address barriers of opportunity for Māori and Pasifika in the tech sector.
The initiative upskilled approximately 30 teachers from 10 Auckland kura and schools that
serve a high proportion of Māori and Pasifika learners, to help expose students to digital
technologies. Participating teachers gained expertise in iOS app development, including app
prototyping, digital media design, computer programming, and user experience
methodologies, earning a micro-credential in Digital Technologies Training. Schools also
received ongoing support and a device grant from Apple.
16. Initially piloted in 10 Auckland schools, the programme is now being expanded to 12
additional schools in Northland, doubling the number of students reached.
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17. Apple has also partnered with Te Karanga2 to support young people excluded from
mainstream education through its Creative Pathways program. This initiative fosters career
exploration, entrepreneurship, and creativity among Māori and Pasifika youth.
Support for community led environmental initiatives
18. Apple supports Auckland iwi Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and its Revive Our Gulf project with a
grant. The project aims to help restore the mussel reefs of the Hauraki Gulf, improve water
quality, stabilise the seafloor, and restore biodiversity.
19. Apple has also provided funding for iwi Te Whānau-ā-Apanui’s seaweed hatchery, which
explores carbon sequestration and its potential for environmental restoration
.
Annexes
Annex One: Biography
Annex Two: Suggested talking points
2 Te Karanaga is a charitable trust based in Auckland, dedicated to supporting young people facing adversity
through creative and social initiatives.
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Annex One: Biography
Josh joined Apple in 2023, as Head of Government Relations. Prior
to joining Apple, he was Head of Public Policy - Meta, where he had
responsibility for policy issues across all of Meta’s products in
Australia, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus.
Josh has also been the Director of Policy at the Business Council of
Australia, leading work on areas such as the future of work,
innovation, data, digital economy, and cyber security.
Josh began his career in government, including providing advice on
technology policy, spending seven years across the Department of
Josh Machin, Head of
Communications, the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, and
Government Relations,
the Department of Education in Australia.
Apple, ANZ
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Suggested Talking Points
Artificial Intelligence Strategy
• This Government sees smarter use of advanced technologies such as AI as being critical in
driving greater economic growth and prosperity, lifting productivity, and supporting New
Zealand businesses to be more internationally competitive.
• Our strategic approach to AI, agreed last year, aims to give confidence to organisations to
safely use, develop and innovative with AI In New Zealand.
• I am leading the Government’s development of an AI Strategy, which is part of the
innovation, tech, and science pillar of our Going for Growth efforts.
• We are also developing Responsible AI Guidance for Businesses. This will be a voluntary
tool for supporting trustworthy use and development of AI systems in private sector
organisations and draws on similar initiatives in countries like Singapore.
You may wish to ask
• I would be interested in finding out more about Apple’s views on AI and what you see are
the main barriers to adoption particularly for businesses?
Game development
You may wish to say
• I am proud of New Zealand’s game development sector, which, despite recent global
headwinds, has increased its earnings by over 280 percent since 2018, and is on track to
be a billion-dollar industry by 2035. Recent successful titles include
Abiotic Factor,
Dredge
and
Path of Exile 2.
• This Government is committed to supporting this sector, chiefly through the Game
Development Sector Rebate, which offers a 20 percent rebate on qualifying game
development expenditure for eligible mid- and large-sized studios, within an envelope of
$40 million per year.
• We also support the Centre for Digital Excellence to deliver support for small studios.
Together, these initiatives are nurturing a sustainable pipeline of domestic game
development studios.
You may wish to ask
• I would be interested in hearing Apple’s views about our game development ecosystem,
including whether New Zealand is considered a desirable place to invest?
Commitment to training
You may wish to ask
• I understand Apple has recently made announcements regards expanding its work with Te
Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, to address barriers of
opportunity for Māori and Pasifika in the tech sector. Can you tell me more about this
initiative and your plans to expand to schools in Northland?
• Apple is also supporting Te Karanga, and its Creative Pathways programme, can you tell
me more about this?
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