Dr Kevin Shedlock calls for Māori governance in artificial intelligence to protect data sovereignty

A prominent academic is calling for Māori to move beyond being mere consumers of artificial intelligence and instead become the designers and governors of the technology. Dr Kevin Shedlock, a lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, says that as AI becomes embedded in healthcare, education, and the digital economy, Māori must be central to deciding its future direction. Speaking with Waatea News on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, Dr Shedlock—who identifies with Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, and Whakatōhea—emphasised that the rapid transformation of how Aotearoa works and communicates brings significant responsibilities. While AI offers immense opportunities for Māori businesses to reduce costs and improve service delivery in sectors like agriculture, it also presents risks regarding data sovereignty and the potential for algorithms to reproduce existing societal biases. A primary concern raised by Dr Shedlock is the protection of mātauranga Māori. Because AI systems often lack an understanding of tikanga or the cultural context of information, there is a risk of cultural appropriation or the misuse of sacred knowledge. He noted that while AI systems are technically capable of reproducing Māori language and imagery, they often lack the relationship-based understanding inherent to Indigenous knowledge. This creates a risk where information about whakapapa and whenua could be treated as mere datasets rather than sacred cultural property. He argues that safeguards are essential for how Indigenous information is collected and stored, ensuring that the authority over this data remains with Māori communities. Looking toward the future, Dr Shedlock highlighted the importance of digital literacy for rangatahi Māori. He believes the real opportunity lies in developing a new generation of Māori software engineers, researchers, and tech leaders who can build systems from the ground up. By participating in the design and governance of these systems from the beginning, Māori can ensure that Indigenous values and perspectives are built into the foundation of the global AI landscape. By being present at the design phase, Māori can ensure that automated technologies serve to support te reo Māori and community needs rather than solely reflecting overseas interests and assumptions.