AI, Indigenous Knowledge, and Climate Decision-Making
WIPCE 2025 — Auckland
This page shares the key resources and contacts from our presentation at WIPCE 2025.
Our kaupapa focuses on using Artificial Intelligence in a way that strengthens kaitiakitanga, supports iwi-led decision-making, and protects Māori data sovereignty.
Technology must serve the whenua — not the other way around.
About the Project
Kaitiaki o Ngāti Mahuta GPT
A custom AI tool designed to make complex environmental reports and policy documents easier for whānau to understand and respond to, using mātauranga Māori, tikanga, and the Ngāti Mahuta Environmental Management Plan as guiding frameworks.
We believe AI can uplift Indigenous decision-making when Māori lead the design, governance, and data pathway.
Demo Video
Contact
Conny Huaki
Waikato, Ngāti Porou
Email: connyhuaki@xtra.co.nz
Graeme Smith
This Is Graeme Ltd
Email: graeme@thisisgraeme.me
Website: https://thisisgraeme.me
If you’d like to kōrero about Māori-led AI design, Indigenous data sovereignty, or how your iwi/hapū might create their own tikanga-aligned AI tools, please get in touch.
Further Information
- We support iwi/hapū to explore AI tools on their terms
- We prioritise Microsoft Aotearoa-based hosting for data sovereignty
- We follow tikanga-based design and governance principles
- We welcome invitations to collaborate, advise, or present
Closing
“Kaitiakitanga extends to our data, our stories, and the code that carries them.”
What is the Kaitiaki o Ngāti Mahuta GPT?
It’s a Māori-led AI tool that translates complex environmental reports into plain-language insights grounded in tikanga and the Ngāti Mahuta Environmental Management Plan.
How does the Kaitiaki GPT help whānau understand environmental reports?
It summarises key impacts, highlights cultural concerns, and provides clear next steps so whānau can participate fully in decision-making.
How was the Kaitiaki GPT trained?
It draws on curated material such as the EMP, tikanga principles, and environmental source texts. No private or sensitive data is used.
Why is Māori Data Sovereignty important in AI?
AI systems can absorb and repurpose Indigenous knowledge. Māori-led hosting keeps data in Aotearoa and under iwi governance.
Where is the Kaitiaki GPT hosted?
Currently in secure cloud environments, with a pathway toward Microsoft Aotearoa-based hosting for full data sovereignty.
Can AI support iwi or hapū in environmental decision-making?
Yes — when Māori lead the design, governance, and data pathways.
How does the Kaitiaki GPT assess a mining proposal?
It provides a clear summary: context, impacts, cultural concerns, environmental risks, mitigation options, and a tikanga-aligned reflection.
Can AI highlight tikanga considerations?
Yes. The Kaitiaki GPT identifies culturally significant sites, spiritual values, and tikanga-based obligations relating to whenua and wai.
Does the Kaitiaki GPT recommend mitigations?
It suggests mitigations based on EMP guidance, tikanga principles, and environmental best practice. These are insights, not legal advice.
Can our iwi or hapū build a tikanga-aligned AI tool?
Absolutely. We support Māori organisations to design, govern, and adapt their own culturally grounded AI companions.
Do we need deep technical expertise?
No. Clear purpose, tikanga guidance, and governance are the foundations. We support the technical build.
Do you provide training or capability building?
Yes — we offer workshops, design sessions, and governance frameworks for iwi, hapū, and organisations exploring AI.
How do you ensure the AI respects tikanga?
Through Māori-led design, cultural review, red-line restrictions, and governance structures that protect values and accuracy.
What safeguards prevent harmful outputs?
Cultural filters, source-bound reasoning, transparent guardrails, and strict limits around whakapapa or sacred knowledge.
How do we work with you to create a custom AI?
We follow a three-step process: scope, build, review — with optional hosting, updates, and ongoing governance support.
What did you present at WIPCE 2025?
A live demonstration of Kaitiaki o Ngāti Mahuta GPT, centred on Indigenous knowledge, climate decision-making, and Māori data sovereignty.
Where can I find the slides and demo video?
They’re available on the “Kaitiaki in the Digital Age” page on thisisgraeme.me.
How much water does AI use, and why does it matter?
Large AI platforms can consume significant water during model training and cooling. This varies by provider, but it’s an emerging concern. For Māori communities, water is a taonga — so transparent reporting, Aotearoa-based hosting, and sustainable digital infrastructure are essential.