link to page 1
30 June 2026
Will Evans
[FYI request #34775 email]
Official information request
Our ref: R001495
Tēnā koe Will
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request, which was received by the Ministry
for Regulation (Ministry) 25 May 2026. You requested:
“I'd like to OIA request copies of reports and briefings on the use of AI in government.”
On 23 June 2026, we notified you of an extension of the time to make our decision to 30 June 2026.
Response
We have interpreted your request as seeking copies of ministerial reports and briefings prepared
by the Ministry for Regulation.
Information partially released
The reports or briefings that we provided to the Minister for Regulation (Minister) or his Office
relating to our use of artificial intelligence (AI) are listed in
Table 1 below. Copies are enclosed in
Appendix A.
Table 1. Reports or briefings prepared by the Ministry
Item
Date
Document
Decision
1.
13/06/2025
MFR2025-156: Use of Artificial Intelligence
Released in full
(AI) in the Ministry’s Work
2.
20/05/2026
MFR2026-080: Promoting responsible AI –
Partially released, with some
guidance for regulat
ors1
information withheld under s
9(2)(a)
Information released as extracts or summaries
We are also releasing extracts from our weekly reports that contain information relevant to your
request. This approach is consistent with section 16(1)(e) of the OIA, which allows information in a
document to be provided in different ways, including as an excerpt or summary. The extracts are
shown in
Table 2.
1 Note: the Ministry’s AI guidance for regulators is available on the Ministry’s website:
https://www.regulation.govt.nz/for-
regulators/resources-for-regulators/ai-guidance-for-regulators/.
Table 2. Weekly report extracts
MFR2025-248: Ministry for Regulation weekly report - 05-09-2025
National Regulators Community of Practice Conference
The National Regulators Community of Practice (NRCoP) Conference brought together regulators and
academics from across Australia and New Zealand and provided insights directly relevant to the
Ministry’s aim of improving regulatory quality and efficiency.
Noting your attendance at the conference dinner where you gave a speech, Gráinne Moss closed the
conference on a panel about stewardship and better regulation, emphasising the value of fixing small
issues that compound over time, not just large reforms.
The key insights from the conference were:
•
Efficiency and duplication: Fragmentation across regulators is a shared problem.
Other jurisdictions are pursuing shared tools, digital platforms, and joint oversight to cut costs and
speed up decisions.
•
Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI): Regulators are trialling AI for triage, licensing, and
complaints handling. Lessons: pair innovation with transparency and accountability, not red tape.
Productivity & trust: Regulation can enable growth by creating certainty and fair competition.
International peers stressed measuring impact not just in metrics but in real improvements to
people’s lives.
•
Leadership and culture: Capability gaps remain; leadership signals and culture shape risk appetite
and regulatory behaviour more than structural reform.
Implications for the Ministry
• Prioritise tools that lift efficiency across multiple regulators (shared templates, digital platforms,
common standards).
• Back innovation pilots like sandboxes, with simple evaluation to test results quickly.
• Keep pushing for leaders’ accountability in regulatory practice, as capability and culture drive
outcomes.
MFR2025-319 Ministry for Regulation weekly report – 21-11- 2025
AI in regulation roundtable
On 6 November 2025, the Ministry invited 32 agency leaders to a roundtable discussion about
opportunities and obstacles for AI in regulatory practice. This was in the context of our current work to
develop a guidance paper for regulatory leadership teams on AI adoption. The idea of the roundtable
came from discussions with the regulatory group at the Department of Internal Affairs.
The participants were overwhelmingly positive about the roundtable as it helped to facilitate stronger
collaboration between agency leaders as they progress responsible AI opportunities in regulation.
Dr Kate Conroy (Queensland University of Technology, Royal Australian Air Force) joined us virtually to
lead off the roundtable with an overview of where other jurisdictions are at, including examples of how
they are creating value, ethical frameworks, and learnings from mistakes already made. We are
reviewing the roundtable material and will work with other agencies, including the Government’s
Chief Digital Officer, on regulatory-specific opportunities and risks.
The roundtable is part of work we have started on gathering international, academic, and local
considerations and examples of AI in regulation in order to create clarity and enthusiasm in the sector.
We will determine the optimal way to showcase this to the sector in the new year. As this work
progresses, we will update you on proposed product(s) for release around the use of AI in regulation.
MFR2026-054: Ministry for Regulation weekly report - 13-03-2026
AI in regulation – regulatory leaders showcase
The Ministry for Regulation, in partnership with MartinJenkins, co-hosted an in person AI regulatory
showcase on 12 March 2026 for senior leaders from across New Zealand’s regulatory agencies.
The event was organised as part of the Ministry’s role in convening, influencing, and strengthening
system wide regulatory capability, particularly in relation to innovation and the use of emerging
technologies.
The showcase focused on practical, real world applications of AI in regulatory settings. Regulators
already using AI tools, alongside specialist AI technology vendors working with regulators, shared
demonstrations, lessons learned, and insights on risks and what has worked in practice. The event was
well attended and generated strong engagement, reinforcing demand from regulators for system-wide
collaboration and clearer guidance in this area.
The draft AI guidance for regulators is scheduled for publication in April 2026, and your office will be
briefed ahead of its release.
MFR 2026-072: Ministry for Regulation weekly report - 02-04-2026
Mapping New Zealand’s Regulatory Landscape
We have identified and collected information about 259 entities in the regulatory landscape.
The information has been collected from a range of sources, including the entities’ annual reports,
New Zealand’s legislation database and information we hold in our own database.
We are currently carrying out an AI-assisted analysis of that information using a set of 24 metrics, so
that we can draw insights to drive future work. Those metrics cover a range of different angles
including, for example, FTE numbers, institutional form and regulatory powers.
MFR2026-110: Ministry for Regulation weekly report - 22-05-2026
Artificial Intelligence in Regulatory Practice Guidance
A press release from you announcing the soon to be published Ministry AI guidance for regulators,
Responsible AI in Action, will be issued during the week of 25 May 2026. We have received high demand
for this guidance since the Ministry’s AI in regulatory practice event in March, particularly from
regulators who expressed interest in innovation through AI but are unsure where to start.
The guidance is part of a suite of products that different audiences can engage with in the way that suits
them: the full guidance, a four-page summary, a bite-size modular series on specific topics, and a set of
videos.
This week, we have provided a memo outlining the Ministry’s approach to promoting the guidance,
along with copies of the guidance materials for discussion on 26 May 2026.
Information in oral briefings
On 19 May 2026, Ministry officials met with the Minister for Regulation and his Office.
Officials demonstrated the data environment and insights that were used by the Regulatory
System Capability team in completing a review to map New Zealand’s regulatory systems.
link to page 4 link to page 4
Information in published regulatory review reports
In May 2026, the Ministry published
The state of New Zealand’s regulatory systems on its websit
e2: Page 8 of the report contains the following explanation:
The Ministry also used AI in the Telecommunications review -
Summary of Engagement: What the
Telecommunications Regulatory Review heard through engagement - published on
the websit
e3.
Page 3 of the report contains the following explanation:
Information in published OIA responses
As part of our commitment to transparency, we proactively publish responses to various
information requests that we receive. The OIAs listed in
Table 3 on the next page relate to the
Ministry’s use of AI, and we consider them relevant to your request.
Table 3. OIA responses relevant to your request that are published on the Ministry’s website
Item
Document
Website address
Withholding
ground
1. Response to OIA request
R001432:
https://www.regulation.govt.nz/about-
s 9(2)(a)
Internal digital infrastructure, cloud
us/our-publications/5-april-2026-oia-
services, and AI tools
response-internal-digital-infrastructure-
cloud-services-and-ai-tools-r001432/
2. Response to OIA request
R001321:
https://www.regulation.govt.nz/about-
s 9(2)(a)
AI tools, use policies and risk
us/our-publications/14-november-2025-
assessments
oia-response-approved-ai-tools-use-
policies-and-risk-assessments-r001321/
3. Response to OIA request
R001037:
https://www.regulation.govt.nz/about-
s 9(2)(a)
Use of AI in submissions analysis
us/our-publications/19-august-2025-
s 9(2)(g)(i)
oia-response-use-of-ai-in-submissions-
s 9(2)(h)
analysis-r001037/
4. Response to OIA request
R00979:
https://www.regulation.govt.nz/about-
s 9(2)(a)
Use of AI in submissions analysis,
us/our-publications/14-july-2025-oia-
policies and safeguards
response-use-of-ai-in-submissions-
analysis-policies-and-safeguards-
r00979/
2 https://www.regulation.govt.nz/assets/Publication-Documents/The-state-of-New-Zealands-regulatory-systems.pdf
3 https://www.regulation.govt.nz/assets/Publication-Documents/Appendix-1-Summary-of-Engagement.pdf
Item
Document
Website address
Withholding
ground
5. Response to OIA request
R00973:
https://www.regulation.govt.nz/about-
s 9(2)(a)
Large language model – Regulatory
us/our-publications/8-august-2025-oia-
Standards Bill discussion document
response-large-language-model-
regulatory-standards-bill-discussion-
document-r00973/
Before proactively releasing documents, Ministry officials consider any potential redactions as if
they were being released under the OIA. This includes redacting information where there are
grounds for withholding under the Act, subject to consideration of whether there are any public
interest reasons favouring release which outweigh the reasons for withholding.
There is some information in the proactively released material listed above that was redacted
consistent with the provisions for withholding information under the OIA. Where this is the case,
the relevant sections of the OIA that would apply have been identified and where information was
withheld, no public interest considerations were identified that would outweigh the reasons for
withholding the information.
This consideration applies equally to information that has been withheld in Appendix A under
section 9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons.
Information published in the digital government website
For other relevant information not prepared or produced by the Ministry, you may wish to visit the
digital government website
: https://www.digital.govt.nz/. It contains a wide range of information
on digital transformation across the public service, including the use of artificial intelligence.
Note that since 2023 to date, the Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO) has surveyed
organisations in the public service about current and planned government use of AI. The results of
this annual research about AI use in the public service are available here:
https://www.digital.govt.nz/standards-and-guidance/technology-and-architecture/artificial-
intelligence/research-ai-public-service.
Right of review
If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please contac
t [Ministry for Regulation request email].
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Please note that we may publish this response (with your details removed) on the Ministry for
Regulation website.
Ngā mihi
Aisling Risdon
Head of Ministerial and Strategic Services
Ministry for Regulation
