CAIPP Research

Books

John Zerilli, John Danaher, James Maclaurin, Colin Gavaghan, Alistair Knott, Joy Liddicoat and Merel Noorman: (Feb 2021). A Citizen's Guide to Artificial Intelligence. MIT Press.

Reports

Alistair Knott, Dino Pedreschi, Raja Chatila, Susan Leavy, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Tapabrata Chakraborti, David Eyers, Andrew Trotman, Lama Saouma, Virginia Morini, Valentina Pansanella, Paul D. Teal, Przemyslaw Biecek, Ivan Bratko, Stuart Russell, and Yoshua Bengio. State-of-the-art Foundation AI Models Should be Accompanied by Detection Mechanisms as a Condition of Public Release (PDF). Global Partnership on AI, July 2023.

Alistair Knott, Dino Pedreschi, Tapabrata Chakraborti, David Eyers, Raja Chatila, Andrew Trotman, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Lama Saouma, Virginia Morini, and Valentina Pansanella. Transparency Mechanisms for Social Media Recommender Algorithms: From Proposals to Action (PDF). Global Partnership on AI, November 2022.

Alistair Knott, Kate Hannah, Dino Pedreschi, Tapabrata Chakraborti, Sanjana Hattotuwa, Andrew Trotman, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Rituparna Roy, David Eyers, Virginia Morin and Valentina Pansanella. Responsible AI for Social Media Governance: A proposed collaborative method for studying the effects of social media recommender systems on users (PDF). Global Partnership on AI, November 2021.

Tom Barraclough and Curtis Barnes. Legal  and  public  policy considerations: proposal by Global Partnership on AI for collaborative study of TVEC and social media recommender systems. Brainbox report, November 2021.

Gavaghan, C., Knott, A. and Maclaurin, J. The impact of Artificial Intelligence on Jobs and Work in New Zealand (PDF). University of Otago, May 2021.

Colin Gavaghan, Alistair Knott, James Maclaurin, John Zerilli and Joy Liddicoat. “Government Use of Artificial Intelligence in New Zealand” (PDF) (2019).

Conference/Workshop organisation

• Alistair Knott, Colin Gavaghan, James Maclaurin and Joy Liddicoat organised the roundtable on AI and Employment held in both Oxford and Dunedin, in November 2018 and September 2019
• James Maclaurin gave a Philosophy Seminar “Why Work?” at the University of Otago 11 September 2019.
  Abstract:
  Predictions about the future of work vary greatly — from the grim pronouncements of Rifkin's The End of Work, to the guarded techno-optimism of Brynjolfsson and McAffee's The Second Machine Age, to the bring-it-on attitude of Salmon's recent New Zealand-focussed Jobs, Robots and Us. All agree that the nature, and perhaps the availability of work will change radically in coming decades. If we are to adapt successfully, we must first understand the value of work. This talk contrasts current fears about loss of work with Bertrand Russell's famous claim that far too much work is done in the world — immense harm is caused by the belief that work is virtuous.
• Alistair Knott, John Zerilli  and Joy Liddicoat were selected to co-organise a presentation on AI and Law at the In-house Lawyers Association of New Zealand annual conference held in Dunedin, 9 May 2019. The workshop met the continuing professional development requirements for lawyers.    
  • Joy Liddicoat's presentation (PDF)
  • Alistair Knott's presentation (PDF)
  • John Zerilli's presentation (PDF)

• David Eyers co-organised Dagstuhl Seminar 18181, Towards Accountable Systems, on 29 April–4 May 2018.
• Colin Gavaghan, Alistair Knott, James Maclaurin and John Zerilli organised the Roundtable on Uses of AI in the Criminal Justice System, held in both Oxford and Dunedin, in November and December 2017.
• Colin Gavaghan was co-organiser and a presenter at a workshop hosted by the Law, Innovation and Society Research Group at Newcastle University Law School: The Future Is Now: The Status and Challenge of AI and Law. 16 May 2017.

CAIPP also sponsors the Artificial Intelligence and Society Seminar series. Topics, slides and other materials are available on the AI and Society wiki.

Selected peer-reviewed publications

Zerilli, J., Knott, A., Maclaurin, J. and Gavaghan, C. (2019). Algorithmic Decision-Making and the Control Problem. Minds and Machines 29:555–578.

Keddell, E. and  Stanley, T. (2019) Critical debates in child protection: The production of risk in changing times. In Webb, S. (ed) Handbook of Critical Social Work. London: Routledge.

Zerilli, J., Knott, A., Maclaurin, J. & Gavaghan, C. (2018) Transparency in algorithmic and human decision-making: Is there a double standard?Philosophy and Technology.

Gavaghan, C. (2017) Lex machina: Techno-regulatory mechanisms and "rules by design." Otago Law Review 15(1): 123-145.

Keddell, E. (2016) Substantiation, decision-making and risk prediction in child protection systems. Policy Quarterly 12: 2-16.

Keddell, E. (2015) The ethics of predictive risk modelling in child welfare: child abuse prevention or neo-liberal tool? Critical Social Policy 35(1): 69-88.

Blog posts

Knott, A. (2021, Mar 22) Moving Towards Responsible Government Use of AI in New Zealand. Produced as part of the World Economic Forum's 'Reimagining Regulation for the Age of AI' project.

Liddicoat, J. (2019, Mar 7) Responding to the Christchurch Call. Association for Progressive Communications.

Keddell, E. (2018, April 6) Risk prediction tools in child welfare contexts: The devil in the detail. Human services and information technology association.

Keddell, E. & Stanley, T. (2018, March 29) Artificial intelligence in children's services: The ethical and practical issues. Community Care.

Keddell, E. (2015, June 4) Predictive risk modelling: On data, rights and politics. Reimagining Social Work.

Case studies

• Liddicoat, J., Gavaghan, C., Knott, A., Maclaurin, J. and Zerilli, J. "The use of algorithms in the New Zealand public sector: A preliminary assessment" (2019) New Zealand Law Journal, February 27.
• How do we navigate the moral compass of machines? - James Maclaurin.
• 'Smart robots' and the law. - Colin Gavaghan.

Media

• Alistair Knott contributed to a RNZ piece on harmful social media content. 9 February 2022.
• James Maclaurin interviewed by TV3 NewsHub (2021) under the title “Report finds AI could one day help kiwis work less but get paid the same" 
• Colin Gavaghan, interview on AI: how to keep it in control? on Radio NZ's Nine to Noon with Kathryn Ryan. 17 March 2021.
• Alistair Knott, interview on the ethics of brain-machine interfaces on Radio NZ's Lately with Karyn Hay. 15 March 2021.
• John Zerilli. AI and you: how confusion about the technology that runs our world threatens democracy. The Conversation. 12 March 2021.
• 2018 Radio New Zealand Morning Report interviewed “Predictive computer apps should be monitored - experts”

Christchurch terrorist attack

• Alistair Knott co-wrote Reaction to the Christchurch Call from the AI Forum's Ethics, Law and Society working group, 23 May 2019.
• Joy Liddicoat wrote a blog post Responding to the Christchurch Call, 7 May 2019.
• On the topic of the Paris Conference Alistair Knott was interviewed by NewsHub on the 14 May 2019. He was also interviewed by the Washington Post on 15 May 2019  and on 16 May 2019 here, and the Wall Street Journal on 15 May 2019.
• How did the Christchurch gunman stay under the radar of state agencies? – Stuff, featuring Ali Knott. Stuff, 13 April 2019.
• Colin Gavaghan on the difficulties of fighting prejudice online –  Otago Daily Times 11 April 2019.
• What the big tech companies need to do after the Christchurch shooting – with comment from Ali Knott. Noted, 29 March 2019.
• Christchurch terror attack: New Zealand should introduce new laws for social media companies – expert – Newshub, featuring Ali Knott, 27 March 2019.
• Alleged attacker 'wasn't from New Zealand or Australia, but from the internet' – including comment from Ali Knott and Colin Gavaghan, 27 March 2019.
• Ali Knott appeared on NewsTalk ZB (twice) and on the Panel in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks, to discuss tech compani​​es' ability to remove offensive video content, and how much effort they are expending in this area. 19 March, 2019.

Establishment of the Centre for AI and Public Policy

• The era of artificial intelligence in New Zealand. RNZ. 10 June 2018.
• Machine learning algorithm is claimed to predict which students will drop out. Stuff. 14 May 2018.
• Chance to lead ethical use of AI. Otago Daily Times. 8 May 2018.
• Curran turns to Otago University for AI action plan. National Business Review. 7 May 2018.
• Otago experts to work with government on AI framework. IT Brief. 7 May 2018. Also on BizEDGE, same date.
• Article about the advisory role of the AI and Law group. Scoop. 7 May 2018.
• Details of a government press release announcing a formal relationship with the new centre. 2 May 2018.

Proposal for a regulatory body to oversee the use of predictive analytics in NZ government departments

• Call for transparency in immigration rulings. The Otago Daily Times has also covered the Pundit article, with quotes from Colin Gavaghan, Ali Knott and John Zerilli. 27 April 2018.
• Machine learning is great but does it need regulation? Our proposal for a watchdog for government uses of AI also featured in a story by ChannelLife. 23 April 2018.
• Calls for AI watchdog to regulate how govt uses personal data. James Maclaurin was interviewed by Mike Hosking on NewsTalk ZB. 23 April 2018.
• Call for Govt data-mining watchdog. Our proposal for a watchdog for government uses of AI also featured in a story in the Otago Daily Times. 22 April 2018.
• Predictive computer apps should be monitored - experts. Morning Report, Radio New Zealand. 20 April 2018.
• Pundit article proposing a regulatory body to oversee the use of predictive analytics in NZ government departments. 19 April 2018.

AI related topics

• AI 'engine of 4th industrial revolution'. Otago Daily Times—Kay Firth-Butterfield, the World Economic Forum's head of artificial intelligence and machine learning, visited the group. 3 February 2018.
• AI and responsibility.  In He Kitenga—2017 University of Otago Research Highlights. February 2018.
• Abandoning driver's seat to cut the road toll. Otago Daily Times—Colin Gavaghan on the legal impacts of driverless cars. 17 October 2017.
• 'Should we be worried about progress in AI?' Otago Bulletin Board—Ali Knott's opinion piece, which is a response to Michael Winikoff's 'Who believes in superintelligence' in the same publication. 6 October 2017.

Comments on ACC's predictive tool

• The Accident Compensation Corporation and its computer-based risk prediction models. 95bFM—an interview with James MacLaurin. 28 September 2017.
• Is ACC 'passing the buck' with prediction based evaluations? Radio NZ—an Interview with Ali Knott. 26 September 2017.
• James Maclaurin, Ali Knott and Colin Gavaghan comment on ACC's risk prediction system. Radio NZ. 23 September 2017.

Other topics

• TV3 Newshub, Alistair Knott participated in an explainer piece on Facebook's chatbots. August 2017.
• Colin Gavaghan gave an interview for Law News, the Journal of the Auckland District Law Society.  May 2017.
• Artificial intelligence ethics to be researched in New Zealand. Newshub. 20 January 2017.
• The human intelligence behind artificial intelligence. Radio NZ. 20 January 2017.
• Major new Otago study to tackle artificial intelligence law and policy behind artificial intelligence. University of Otago Media release. 19 January 2017.

Selected talks

• James Maclaurin spoke at the Parliamentary Speaker’s Science Forum, to an audience of MPs on “Data Governance in the age of ChatGPT.  7 June 2023.
• David Eyers, James Maclaurin, and Daniel Guppy presented an panel discussion on AI in the Workforce for the New Zealand International Science Festival which will be broadcast by Radio New Zealand.
• James Maclaurin and Colin Gavaghan spoke about AI (and other new technologies) at Otago's 2022 National Security School which is organised by the University's Politics Programme.
• James Maclaurin spoke on Job and Work to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee at parliament on 29 August 2019.
• Joy Liddicoat gave a presentation “AI and Employment: New Zealand labour laws – a preliminary assessment” to the AI and Society Forum on 16 August 2019.
• Ali Knott have a presentation “A survey of labour law issues relating to AI” to the AI and Society Forum on 9 August 2019.
• Joy Liddicoat and Colin Gavaghan both appeared as panellists and chairs at the Identity Conference, organised by Victoria University of Wellington, the Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and Digital Identity New Zealand.
• Joy Liddicoat gave a presentation to the New Zealand Law Librarians annual conference on 29 August 2019.
• James Maclaurin spoke at the Parliamentary Speaker’s Science Forum, to an audience of MPs on the effects of AI on jobs and work in Aotearoa. 10 April 2019.
• Colin Gavaghan delivered a seminar on the project, entitled 'Thinking outside the (black) box', as part of the Inland Revenue's “Future thinking” series.
• "AI Technologies: Maximising benefits, minimising potential harms." James Maclaurin and Colin Gavaghan delivered a talk at the Data Summit in Wellington. 27 September 2018.
• "Transparency in algorithmic and human decision-making: Is there a double standard?" The AI and Law in New Zealand Project's Postdoctoral Fellow, John Zerilli, delivered a talk at the Neuroscience and Society Conference in Sydney. 24 August 2018.
• AI and Computer Vision: Applications, impacts, ethics. Ali Knott delivered a talk with Steven Mills for TechWeek in Auckland. 23 May 2018.
• Colin Gavaghan delivered the Kirby seminar at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia, on the topic "Thinking Outside the (Black) Box." 14 May 2018.
• Colin Gavaghan delivered a talk and participated in a panel discussion at Privacy Week, Wellington. 9 May 2018.
• Colin Gavaghan spoke at the Parliamentary Speaker's Science Forum, to an audience of MPs. The subject matter included legal issues around driverless cars and other challenges of autonomous machines. 9 May 2018.
• The impact of AI on people and society. Ali Knott participated in a panel discussion at AI day. 28 March 2018.
• James Maclaurin participated in a panel discusison on Driverless Cars as part of IPWEA NZ's 2017 conference. Radio NZ. 24 September 2017.
• Colin Gavaghan attended and presented at Neuroscience and Society conference, co-hosted by Universities of Sydney and Macquarie. 14-15 September​ 2017.
• How should society prepare for advances in Artificial Intelligence? Royal Society Te Apārangi 150th Anniversary Regional Lecture, given by Ali Knott. 4 August 2017.

Professional service

2023: James Maclaurin and Ali Knott were appointed to a panel on AI and Health in Aotearoa organised by the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor in conjunction with the Ministry of Health.

2021: Colin Gavaghan was selected by the New Zealand Police as chair of a panel of independent experts to advise on technology matters in 2021.

Colin Gavaghan joined the Digital Council for Aotearoa in 2020.

Alistair Knott was selected as one of the NZ representatives on the Global Partnership on AI'sResponsible Use of AI working group in 2020.

The 'Law, Ethics and Society' working group of the AI Forum, of which Ali Knott is a member, released  'Trustworthy AI in Aotearoa New Zealand: AI Principles' on 4 March 2020.
Read the report online at AI Forum

https://aiforum.org.nz/reports/trustworthy-ai-in-aotearoa-the-ai-principles/

The AI and Law in New Zealand Project's Postdoctoral Fellow, John Zerilli, served on the AI Forum's 'Adoption' working group, September 2018 – May 2019.

Joy Liddicoat joined the AI Forum's Working Group 4 “Trust Data Accessibility” in August 2019.

The AI and Law in New Zealand Project's Postdoctoral Fellow, John Zerilli, reviewed the final report of the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, Ethically Aligned Design.

The AI and Law in New Zealand Project's Associate Research Fellow, Joy Liddicoat, contributed a foreword to the​ AI publication, FABRICS.
Read the FABRICS - Emerging AI Readiness document. (PDF)