Our approach to AI and Māori projects

At Malgraphix, we use AI as a creative and practical tool. It can help us explore ideas, develop artwork and improve how a project works. The direction, decisions and responsibility remain with people.

When a project involves Māori stories, language, imagery or knowledge, we take extra care. We seek cultural guidance where it is needed, check what we create, and make changes in response to that guidance. We do not present AI generated work as traditional Māori art or as endorsed by an iwi or hapū without their approval.

Creative work

Our contemporary artwork, including Kaitiaki o Te Taiao, is developed under human direction with AI assistance. We review the characters, stories, “te reo” and visual details as the work develops. If a design draws on particular iwi kōrero, symbols, rongoā or other cultural knowledge, we seek guidance from people with the appropriate connection and knowledge before publishing it.

We aim to be open about the role AI has played in our work.

Data and digital projects

Information about people, whānau and whakapapa deserves careful governance. We do not assume that permission from one person gives us authority to use collective information in an AI system.

Our approach to iwi member platforms is to build their core services without connecting member databases to AI. Where AI could help with a specific function, we assess that function separately: what information would it receive, who has authority to approve that use, and how will it be reviewed? AI access to member or whakapapa information is never assumed simply because a feature uses AI.

An ongoing commitment

AI is changing quickly, and our approach will continue to develop. We use resources such as Te Kāhui Raraunga’s Māori AI Governance Framework, and other sources, to ask better questions, alongside guidance from the people and communities connected to each project.

Our aim is to make useful work while respecting the people, knowledge and relationships that give it meaning.