AI systems are already managing hundreds of thousands of animals across New Zealand’s farms and conservation programmes, with the potential to scale to millions. The technology is sophisticated. The welfare frameworks for AI? They don’t exist yet. Animal welfare law was written in 1999, before anyone imagined AI making decisions about animals. But there’s good news: we still have time to get this right.
Our new policy brief shows the regulatory gap, the risks of inaction, and four practical pathways forward. It’s not a complete solution, it’s a conversation starter. And it’s a conversation New Zealand needs to have now, before harmful practices become locked in.
Read AJP’s Policy Brief.