Toi Ōtautahi AI and the Arts Symposium
Description
Toi Ōtautahi AI and the Arts Symposium
Saturday 14 November
1.30pm-4.30pm
Tūranga, TSB Space (1st Floor)
Free to attend - register by booking a free ticket through this Humanitix page
As AI tools become increasingly used within and to replicate human creativity, artists are being forced to navigate new territory: from questions of authorship, originality and copyright, to concerns around cultural identity and the future of human creativity itself.
Bringing together artists, researchers and industry experts, this half-day symposium examines both the practical uses of AI and the risks it poses, creating space for both curiosity and critical discussion. Through presentations, discussion and debate, participants will explore how creatives might engage with these technologies in ethical and informed ways, as well as protecting their work, artistic integrity, cultural knowledge and the human imagination.
INTRODUCTION (1.30pm)
Ben Brown, Poet – I Am Not a Robot
A poetic perspective on what it is to be human in the age of AI.
AI AND CREATIVITY (1.45pm)
Hori-Te-Ariki Mataki, Ariki Creative – AI in a Contemporary Māori Creative Practice
Demonstrating practical uses of AI in Māori design practice, balancing new technologies with cultural integrity and human expertise.
Dr Claire Benedict, University of Canterbury – From Feedback to Authorship: AI, Collaboration and Creative Agency in Music Production
How generative AI is reshaping ideas of authorship, creative agency and collaboration in music production.
Rachael Hurren, Human Logic – The Cost of Convenience: AI and the Creative Brain
A neuroscience-backed look at the creative process and how AI is reshaping it—for better and for worse.
AI RISKS & PROTECTION (3pm)
Emma Humphrey, AI Safety Australia & New Zealand – AI Mythbusting
Cutting through AI hype to explain how AI works, common misconceptions, and practical approaches to staying safe.
Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, Taiuru & Associates – Whakapapa Before Prompts: A Māori Data Sovereignty Kit for Artists in the Age of AI
Considering authority, accountability and cultural protection when AI engages with Māori knowledge, identities and creative works.
Sam Irvine, Tāwhia Copyright Aotearoa
The latest legal developments in copyright, licensing and creator recognition in a future increasingly shaped by AI systems.
Full details will shortly be available at www.toiotautahi.org.nz
Speakers
Ben Brown
Ben Brown (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Koroki, Ngāti Paoa) has written children’s books, short stories and poetry for children and adults, general non-fiction, freelance articles and memoir. In 2006 he won Best Picture Book with artist/illustrator Helen Taylor in the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards with their book A Booming in the Night. His poetry has been published in various anthologies here and around the world and Radio NZ and The Radio Network have also recorded him. In 2011 he was the Maori Writer in Residence at the Michael King Writers Centre in Devonport Auckland. His poetry collection Between the kindling and the blaze was shortlisted in the 2014 Nga Kupu Ora Aotearoa Maori Book Awards. In 2021 he was appointed inaugural Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Children’s Reading Ambassador while 2022 and 2023 saw his appointment to the judges paned for the Prime Ministers Award for Literature. He was the Te Kaipukahu University of Waikato Writer in Residence in 2024. His latest book This Imperfect Light; with selected poems from 1994 - 2025 and artwork by Bill Hammond (1947 - 2021) was released in August this year. He is also a father of two, which he considers his best work to date.
Hori-Te-Ariki Mataki
Hori-Te-Ariki Mataki (Ngāti Kauwhata, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, and Ngāi Tahu) is Kaihautū of Ariki Creative, a kaupapa Māori creative studio based in Ōtautahi. He leads a team of designers, illustrators, animators and filmmakers bringing whakapapa and pūrākau to life through brand identity, cultural narrative, spatial design, animation and film. Ariki partnerships span iwi and Māori organisations including Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Waikato-Tainui and Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou. They also include government agencies such as Health New Zealand, the Ministry of Education and Fire and Emergency NZ. Corporate clients include Google, TikTok, Kiwibank and Orion, and education clients include the University of Canterbury, the University of Otago and Ara.
Dr Claire Benedict
Dr. Claire Benedict is a singer, composer and audio engineer whose work explores the intersection of music, technology and creative practice. Originally from Suffolk, England, Claire has lived and worked in Aotearoa New Zealand since 2005, with a professional background spanning vocal performance, composition, acoustics, music technology and sound for screen. Claire is a Lecturer at the University of Canterbury, where they teach creative music technology, composition and screen sound. Claire’s doctoral research at the University of Otago investigated studio production and vocal performance through the autonomous recording of choirs using extensive vocal modelling, exploring the relationship between technology, ensemble performance and human creativity. Alongside academic work, Claire continues to work as a singer, composer and audio practitioner, combining traditional musical disciplines with emerging technologies to explore new approaches to performance, production and sound.
Rachael Hurren
Rachael Hurren is the Principal Consultant at Human Logic. She uses her background in psychology and professional development within the tech sector to help people understand how our brains works in the modern workplace. Rachael is a leading voice on the cognitive impacts of AI, helping organisations leverage technology while protecting human agility.
Emma Humphrey
Emma Humphrey is an AI Safety Specialist, educator, and social entrepreneur dedicated to helping organisations and communities navigate the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence safely, ethically, and resiliently, and equipping society with the critical thinking, processes, and tools necessary to harness technology responsibly without losing sight of human safety and ethics. Her work actively addresses pressing contemporary issues, such as: over-trust in AI models and automation bias, cybersecurity vulnerabilities and threats to Māori data sovereignty. Her career in data science is rooted in an academic background in Physics and Applied Mathematics and with hands-on expertise as an AI consultant for the UK Home Office. Emma shares practical case studies and forward-looking insights to help everyday people and businesses build resilience against over 1,700 identified AI risks.
Dr Karaitiana Taiuru
Dr Karaitiana Taiuru is a leading Māori voice on the intersection of tikanga Māori (cultural values), mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge), and emerging digital technologies. He is director of Taiuru & Associates, a boutique practice specialising in AI/data governance, Māori Data Sovereignty implementation, emerging technology ethics (including digital and genetic contexts), and Māori intellectual property rights. With over 30 years in the technology sector, Dr Taiuru provides rights based, practical guidance on risks such as algorithmic bias, cultural appropriation, and data misuse alongside pathways for ethical innovation that supports Māori aspirations and Te Tiriti-aligned governance. He is affiliated with Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Ngāti Toa, and has been a keynote speaker and commentator on “AI colonisation”, language technologies, and Indigenous data rights.
Sam Irvine
Sam is the Chief Executive of Tāwhia Copyright Aotearoa(TCA) and Resale Royalty Aotearoa(RRA). His professional journey includes holding senior executive positions in Advertising, Communications, Architectual Design, Television, Telecommunications, and Radio prior to joining TCA. Beyond his corporate endeavours, Sam holds governance positions in theatre and radio. Sam's passion lies in advocating for fair recognition and rewards for all creative practitioners in New Zealand, both domestically and internationally.
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