EST. 2025 · WELLINGTON AOTEAROA

AI IS ALREADY IN
NEW ZEALAND.
SO ARE
THE RISKS.

We're an independent initiative making AI safety relevant to Aotearoa. We cover the everyday risks affecting kiwis so you can confidently navigate these changes and take meaningful action in your community.

WHAT WE WORK ON

Public education+

Explainers, social content, and plain-language guides that make AI safety relevant to everyday New Zealanders.

Awareness+

Targeted advocacy on specific issues, with practical tools for the public to take action.

Events+

Public talks and community conversations that bring AI safety out of the conference room and into Aotearoa.

More on our approach

01 - Our purpose

AI is already shaping daily life in Aotearoa. We are here to clarify the risks and spark the conversations New Zealand needs to have.

The technology is moving incredibly fast, showing up quietly in our workplaces, our schools, and our personal finances. While global tech giants build these tools, everyday Kiwis are the ones navigating the real-world impacts.

Most of the discussion around AI safety is either buried in dense technical jargon or confined to academic debates. That makes it hard to get a clear look at the risks, and it stops us from having the essential conversations we need to have as a country.

We are an independent public education initiative dedicated to changing that. We translate complex concepts into plain language and spotlight the specific AI risks hitting Kiwis today. Our goal is to give you the straightforward facts you need to navigate these changes confidently, so together we can keep New Zealand safer.

More about who we are

03 - The blog

Recent thinking

Read the blog
Explainer · May 6, 2026

Reward Hacking: When AI Goes Off Script

Reward functions are the mechanisms that guide AI systems towards their desired goals. They essentially provide a score or rating to the AI based on its…

04 - Signal

What we’re reading

A hand-picked selection of New Zealand AI stories worth paying attention to. Updated monthly.

Follow along

@aisafetyaotearoa

View on Instagram

05 - Subscribe

Join the AI Safety Aotearoa Mailing list

06 - Take action

Do something about it.

All ways to act