A new University of Auckland Business School hub puts people, purpose and human judgement at the centre of AI.
For generations, Marshallese navigators used intricate stick charts to map routes across the Pacific.
Often made from strips of wood and shells, the charts represented ocean swells, islands and currents. But rather than relying on them at sea, navigators tended to study them on land.
Once on the water, they read the conditions, drew on their experience and sensory judgement, and took responsibility for the course they chose.
For Professor of Human-Centric AI Alexander Richter, there’s a link between the use of these charts and our use of artificial intelligence, which he says should centre human expertise and judgement, not displace it.
This thinking is helping shape Huanui: The AI Initiative, a new University of Auckland Business School project, with Richter as inaugural director.
Its launch comes as some of the world’s leading AI figures call for a slower pace of development, amid growing debate about whether safeguards and regulation can keep up with increasingly capable systems.
In the face of this somewhat scary situation, and with AI already embedded in workplaces and everyday life, we need to use the technology in a way that reflects people’s values, says Richter, who joined Waipapa Taumata Rau after seven years at Victoria University of Wellington.
Huanui, he stresses, is not about “AI evangelism” or chasing the latest tools. Instead, the hub will support research, teaching, innovation and collaboration; build capability; and encourage informed, ethical and critical choices about artificial intelligence.
The aim is to advance ambitious research, and engage with business, government and communities to translate insights into societal impact. The initiative also aims to develop the tools needed to work with AI responsibly and effectively.
“As a country that places values and purpose at the centre of important decisions, we are well positioned to shape an approach to AI that serves people and society,” says Richter.
Its programmes will include an AI think tank connecting researchers, business, government and communities; AI executives in residence; faculty champions to further develop AI capabilities and student AI partners.
A values-led approach to AI, says Richter, requires this work to be grounded in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Huanui will centre mātauranga Māori and Indigenous perspectives in its research and engagement, with whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga, mahi tahi and rangatiratanga among the values underpinning the initiative.
The name Huanui (abundant fruit), gifted by Dr Robert Pouwhare (Ngāi Tūhoe) and Business School Kaiārahi Hone Thorpe (Te Āti Awa), speaks to the many opportunities AI offers. It also evokes the guard position in Māori martial arts, signifying balance, awareness and a readiness to respond.
“That feels exactly right for how we want to approach AI,” says Richter.
