New Zealand issues AI guidance for regulators

New Zealand’s Ministry for Regulation has issued new guidance to help regulators use AI responsibly across regulatory systems.

The guidance provides practical advice for regulatory leaders on identifying where AI can add value, assessing opportunities and risks, and applying AI in ways that maintain accountability, transparency and human judgement.

The ministry said the guidance forms part of a wider effort to build capability and confidence across government as agencies respond to emerging technologies. It was highlighted in the ministry’s June 2026 bulletin alongside new guidance on regulatory sandboxes.

The sandbox guidance is intended to help ministers and agency leaders test new ideas, products and services in controlled environments before wider implementation. According to the ministry, sandboxes can help regulators manage uncertainty, support innovation, assess real-world impacts and refine regulatory settings.

The ministry also linked the new guidance to broader work on improving New Zealand’s regulatory systems. Its first comprehensive map of the country’s regulatory landscape identified more than 260 organisations carrying out regulatory functions and created a shared evidence base for future reform.

Why does it matter?

The guidance shows how governments are preparing regulators not only to oversee AI and other emerging technologies, but also to use AI in their own work. Practical guidance on accountability, transparency, human judgement and controlled testing can help agencies experiment without weakening public trust. The sandbox element is also relevant because fast-moving technologies often expose gaps in traditional rulemaking and require more adaptive regulatory tools.

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