šŸŒæ Te Ao Māori Values vs AI Development

What If AI Was Designed With Tikanga? | Unit 7 | Years 9-10

"He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata."

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Most AI is designed for profit, efficiency, and speed. But what if we designed AI with people firstā€” guided by mātauranga Māori?

Part 1: Two Worldviews

Te Ao Māori

  • Collective good over individual gain
  • Long-term thinking (7 generations)
  • Relationships & care (whanaungatanga)
  • Stewardship (kaitiakitanga)
  • Knowledge is taonga (sacred, shared responsibly)
  • Holistic (physical, spiritual, emotional, mental)

Typical AI Development

  • Profit maximization
  • Short-term thinking (quarterly earnings)
  • Efficiency & automation
  • Resource extraction
  • Data is commodity (harvest, sell)
  • Narrow metrics (clicks, engagement, speed)
First Impressions: Which approach do you think leads to better outcomes for communities? Why do you think AI companies don't follow te ao Māori values?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Part 2: What If AI Followed Tikanga?

For each Māori value, imagine how it would change AI design:

šŸ¤ Manaakitanga (Care & Generosity)

Current AI: Chatbots designed to extract data, not care for users. Algorithms optimize for engagement (addiction), not wellbeing.

Manaakitanga AI would: Prioritize user wellbeing over profit. Remind you to take breaks. Refuse to manipulate vulnerable people.

Your Example: Describe one AI feature (social media, app, algorithm) that violates manaakitanga. How would you redesign it?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

šŸŒæ Kaitiakitanga (Guardianship)

Current AI: Massive carbon footprint (data centers), e-waste, resource extraction. No accountability for environmental harm.

Kaitiakitanga AI would: Minimize environmental impact. Use renewable energy. Repair, not replace. Design for 7 generations.

Research & Reflect: Find out how much energy ChatGPT uses per query compared to a Google search. Does this align with kaitiakitanga? What would need to change?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

šŸ›ļø Rangatiratanga (Self-Determination)

Current AI: Māori data extracted without consent. AI trained on te reo without Māori control. Indigenous knowledge commodified.

Rangatiratanga AI would: Māori control their own data. Free, prior, informed consent. Indigenous peoples own and govern AI trained on their knowledge.

Critical Analysis: Google Translate uses te reo Māori data. Who controls that data? Who profits? Should Māori have final say over how te reo is used in AI?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

šŸ’« Whanaungatanga (Relationships & Connection)

Current AI: Replaces human connection (chatbots, automated customer service). Isolates users in filter bubbles. Weakens community bonds.

Whanaungatanga AI would: Strengthen human relationships, not replace them. Connect communities. Foster real dialogue, not echo chambers.

Reflect: Has AI strengthened or weakened your relationships with whānau and friends? How could it be designed differently?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Part 3: Real-World Example

Te Hiku Media - Māori-Led AI

Te Hiku Media (a Māori radio station) created the world's first Indigenous-led AI speech recognition system for te reo Māori. Instead of letting Google or Amazon control the data, they:

  • Required kaitiaki licensesā€”users must commit to ethical use
  • Ensured Māori governance over all data and algorithms
  • Made it open-source for other Indigenous groups (not for corporate profit)
  • Prioritized language revitalization over commercial gain

This is AI designed with tikanga at its core.

Discussion Questions:

1. How is Te Hiku's approach different from how Big Tech handles language data?

2. What Māori values can you identify in their model?

3. Could this approach work for other AI applications? What barriers exist?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

šŸš€ Design Challenge: Your Tikanga-Based AI

Design an AI tool or feature that follows te ao Māori values. Be specific about:

What problem does it solve?

Which Māori values guide its design?

How does it prioritize people over profit?

What safeguards prevent misuse?

Who governs it?

šŸ“š Teacher Notes:

  • Resources: Te Hiku Media's "Kaitiakitanga License", Māori Data Sovereignty Network
  • Extension: Compare NZ's Algorithm Charter to tikanga principlesā€”where does it succeed/fail?
  • Guest speaker idea: Invite someone from Te Hiku Media or a Māori tech startup
  • NZC Links: Technology (Technological Outcomes), Te Reo Māori (Tikanga), Social Sciences (Power)