Dr Karaitiana Taiuru

Leading the Way in Māori Data and AI Sovereignty 

Raised in North Canterbury, Dr Karaitiana Taiuru spent his childhood moving between the worlds of his Māori and Pākehā grandparents. 

“It was an interesting mix growing up in a time when being Māori wasn’t seen as cool, and kids who went to the marae were teased, but those experiences shaped how I view identity and resilience today.” 

Dr Taiuru’s educational journey saw him move from rural life to St Andrew’s College in Christchurch, one of New Zealand’s most prestigious private schools. 

 “It was a wake-up call, but it taught me to understand and respect people from all backgrounds. I’m thankful for that.” 

After school, his path took an unexpected turn. “What began as an entry-level job in IT, because I happened to know a little about computers, became the foundation for a lifelong career in digital advocacy, Māori data sovereignty, and ethical technology. 

“I helped create one of Aotearoa’s first digital Māori language dictionaries, and from there began advocating for Māori protection on the World Wide Web in the 1990s. Even then, I could already see the risks and opportunities that technology would bring our people.” 

Those instincts led him into national and international spaces, where he’s now one of Aotearoa’s leading voices in artificial intelligence (AI) and Māori data governance. As Chair of the New Zealand AI Forum’s Kāhui Māori, a Justice of the Peace, and a professional director with the Institute of Directors, Dr Taiuru’s work ensures Māori perspectives are heard in spaces where they often aren’t. 

He believes Aotearoa is at a pivotal moment in history. 

“For the first time, we’re on a level playing field. We can use AI to decolonise ourselves, empower our communities, and become global leaders. There’s no reason why Māori can’t lead in this space.” 

His doctoral research at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi explored Māori data sovereignty and ethics in Genomic data— work that now informs national policy discussions and international Indigenous collaborations. 

“When I reached out to Awanuiārangi, I was treated like whānau straight away. I wanted to be supervised by experts in Māori studies, people whose authority wouldn’t be questioned. That’s exactly what I found there.” 

One of his current projects involves developing an ethical AI model for climate change that considers the impact on marae and farms, a model that could be adapted by other Indigenous communities globally. 

“AI can revitalise language, preserve culture, create jobs for our whānau in rural areas, and help us manage our whenua and moana more effectively. It’s about using technology to serve us, not define us.” 

Dr Taiuru encourages Māori who may have struggled in mainstream education to consider Wānanga learning. 

“If mainstream education didn’t work for you, Awanuiārangi offers a whānau-friendly environment. The expertise is there, the qualifications are the same, and you’ll gain a grounding in kaupapa Māori that you won’t find anywhere else.”