Initiative overview
New Zealand’s Responsible AI Guidance for the Public Service: GenAI supports the uptake of safe and responsible AI technology across government. The 2025 version updates the ‘Interim Generative AI guidance for the public service’ published in July 2023 and incorporates input from agencies.
The guidance is a comprehensive document that supports leaders, decision-makers and officials in the New Zealand Public Service who are working, exploring or planning to work with Generative AI (GenAI). The guidance enables government agencies to adopt GenAI systems in ways that are safe, transparent and responsible, and which effectively balance risks with potential benefits of these systems.
Information on important factors affecting the use of GenAI is set out in two parts:
- GenAI foundations — key foundational aspects to underpin customer experience and agency usage. Topics include governance, security, procurement, skills, misinformation and accountability.
- GenAI and the customer experience — key considerations that directly affect customer service experience with government. Topics include transparency, bias, accessibility and privacy. The guidance is designed to be read with the NZ Public Service AI Framework.
This AI Framework draws on OECD advice in setting a vision for AI in New Zealand’s Public Service, defining key principles to guide Public Service AI use, outlining the policy context for Public Service AI use, and key elements of the GCDO AI work programme. Applying the AI Framework in practice is supported with examples.
Results, outcomes and impacts
The guidance is an extensive resource that sets out relevant principles and provides example scenarios, helpful tips and links to further resources. The guidance is available as an A3 summary file with graphics and a printable version for downloading as a 40 page PDF file.
Challenges and lessons learned
Publication of the guidance as an interim resource enabled iteration through the advice being used by agencies. Agency feedback was used to inform and update the guidance which iterated after approximately two years. A glossary is provided to support some understanding of terms used in the guidance, by reference to OECD terminology. Disclaimers are included to discourage information being interpreted or used for specific product endorsement.
