AI, Trust & Ancestral Intelligence with Dan Te Whenua Walker — LNZ Masterclass Series 2026

In this masterclass we ask, what does it mean to engage with AI on our own terms?

Dan Te Whenua Walker takes us into the heart of AI, trust, and what building a true indigenous relationship with AI can look like. The systems being built today often carry no authority over the values-based knowledge they touch. Yet we are at a point in time where we have an opportunity to choose how we engage with these systems to help design a path where these values are upheld.

This is not a session about keeping up with AI. It's about deciding, deliberately, what it means to engage with AI on our own terms.

What we'll explore:

• Te Kuru o Te Ihu - the new frontier 
  Standing at the prow of the waka: meeting new conditions while remaining accountable to whakapapa, whānau, and everyone the waka carries. 

• The foundations of trust 
  What does a relationship with AI, with trust at the core, look like- and what does it require? 

• True partnership with Indigenous knowledge 
  Beyond adding cultural content to existing systems, what changes when AI is designed, governed and bounded by tikanga, whakapapa-based authority, Māori data sovereignty and whānau aspirations? 

• The Economy of Mana 
  Value beyond money: reciprocity, collective wellbeing, ecological responsibility, kinship obligations, and how benefit is shared rather than simply accumulated. 

• A protective AI korowai 
  A values-based audit tool for asking the harder question: does this system enhance, protect and sustain? 

• Te Rau o Te Huia - a practical inspiration
  A whānau-level model of AI grounded in manaakitanga, aroha, cultural safety, and clear, deliberate boundaries around tapu knowledge. 

Why this matters

At its heart, this masterclass is about trust. AI that is shaped by us, for the wellbeing of the generations still to come. Aotearoa has a chance to lead the world here. This is where that conversation starts. 

Register your place today!

About our Speaker

Dan Te Whenua Walker (Tangahoe, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Ruahinerangi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Te Ātiawa, Maniapoto, Tūhourangi)

Dan is the Founder and CEO of Te Whare o Toitū AI, a kaupapa Māori consultancy building tikanga-led, values-based approaches to artificial intelligence, Chair of Child Cancer Foundation and Deputy Chair of NZ Māori Tourism. Dan was previously the Global Co-Chair of Indigenous at Microsoft, His leadership is grounded in whakapapa and guided by the teachings of his iwi, elders, and whānau. He brings a unique perspective that weaves together tikanga Māori, Indigenous wisdom, and modern governance frameworks. With extensive governance roles across Aotearoa. He was recently recognised as the 2025 New Zealand Leader of the Year and recipient of the Rangatiratanga Tōtara award recognising Māori leadership. Dan is committed to long-term intergenerational change that uplifts whānau, hapū, and iwi while influencing global conversations in technology and leadership.