| 2018 | What do Kiwis think of encryption? | |  |
| An ongoing study by researchers at the University of Waikato has found that New Zealanders place the highest value on privacy, data protection, information security, and trust. These are closely followed by national security and public safety and right to property as the top principles and values concerning encryption. The study is funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 17th December 2018 | | Publication information  |
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| 2018 | Algorithms are everywhere but the public sector seems scared to use them | | |
| Law Foundation grantee Ali Knott at Otago University's AI and Law in New Zealand Project says some of the tools already being used "can already be thought of as AI systems".
"I'd say anything the report refers to as 'machine learning' algorithms can be considered as 'AI'. A lot of 'operational' algorithms referred to in the report, that make decisions 'based on large / complex data sets', are machine learning algorithms and therefore AI." | | | 13th November 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Could the Acosta video be the start of a worrying trend? | | |
| "Public and private institutions have methods for detecting fake or inauthentic records. But the Acosta incident ought to provoke us to investigate more closely. We need to think carefully about the way we consume and pass on the audio-visual information we see and hear." | | | 9th November 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Annie Gray (Management): forthcoming article about ILAPP-funded research on cryptocurrencies | | |
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| 2018 | Newstalk ZB: Government and Reserve Bank urged to embrace cryptocurrency | | |
| Newstalk ZB Kerre McIvor interviewed Associate Professor Alex Sims about the ILAPP-funded report on cryptocurrencies. | | | 30th October 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | NBR: Cryptocurrencies are 'here to stay', so govt should get used to it | | |
| NBR: "New Zealand should jump on the blockchain train, says new UoA report." | | | 28th October 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | University of Auckland: NZ needs to jump on blockchain train | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims and collaborators release their ILAPP-funded research report. A central bank-issued cryptocurrency, thriving cryptocurrency exchanges and the ability for businesses to trade in GST-free cryptocurrency are needed if Aotearoa New Zealand is to enjoy the vast potential benefits from this technology, a new report finds. | | | 28th October 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | New Zealand Professors Advocate for Crypto-Friendly Blockchain Regulations | | |
| To make the country a hub of blockchain and cryptocurrency projects, the government of New Zealand needs to enact regulations for the local blockchain sector. This is the reason why professors at the University of Auckland recently published a report urging the local administration to establish a legal framework for the country’s crypto space. | | | 5th October 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Stuff Interactive: Move Fast, But First, Do No Harm | | |
| Historically, governments have seen digital technology as a matter for private arrangements, says Dr James Every-Palmer QC, a barrister at Wellington’s Stout Street Chambers and author of Regulation of new technology: Institutions and processes, published in March and funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation.
“But people are now asking questions,” he says. “How does social media affect people’s happiness and how can it be manipulated by foreign interests? What rules should apply to people promoting Bitcoin? Should Uber drivers have the same protections as employees? New Zealand hasn’t answered these questions, but nor has any other country.”
He says a “technology commission”, mandated to address these questions along with other authorities in New Zealand and overseas, would help. He admits it’s a bit of a radical proposition, to devolve legislative powers to a bureaucracy, even only on an interim basis.
“However, the rapid pace of technological change is likely to require faster regulatory responses than is possible through Parliament.”
Plus, he says, New Zealand has a history of creating innovative regulatory and commercial solutions: “For example, the deployment of Eftpos technology, the development of a wholesale electricity market, the creation of Fonterra and the creation of our own ‘space law’ to allow launches by Rocket Lab.”
Consumer engagement is a chicken-and-egg situation. Without regulations requiring transparency, consumers aren’t aware of what data is collected and how it’s commercialised and transferred, and how it affects their online experience. Better understanding of that would give consumers a more active role, Every-Palmer says.
Given this lack of transparency, by default, the onus has to be on companies and governments to provide evidence that what they’re doing is fair, and accurate. | | | 3rd October 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Stuart Corner (Computerworld NZ): NZ Government urged to adopt cryptocurrency | | |
| A report produced by the University of Auckland based on research funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation has called for New Zealand to develop a central bank-issued cryptocurrency, thriving cryptocurrency exchanges and the ability for businesses to trade in GST-free cryptocurrency.
It says all these are needed if New Zealand is to enjoy "the vast potential benefits from this technology." | | | 2nd October 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Sarah Putt: Blockchain more transformative than internet - researcher | | |
| New Zealand should look to become a blockchain and financial technology hub, argues a team of legal and financial experts in a report based on research funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project.
Alex Sims, Principal researcher and Associate Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland says cryptocurrencies are here to stay and that this country is missing a trick if it doesn't get to grips with the technology. | | | 2nd October 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | LawTalk: Cryptocurrency encouragement recommended | | |
| LawTalk reports on the latest findings and recommendations from Associate Professor Alex Sims' cryptocurrencies research. | | | 1st October 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Science Media Centre: Cryptocurrencies here to stay – Expert Reaction | | |
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| 2018 | Kryptomoney: New Zealand Law Foundation Report Suggests Accepting Cryptocurrency | | |
| Arshmeet Hora reports on the ILAPP-funded cryptocurrencies research authored by Associate Professor Sims and her collaborators. | | | 29th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | RadioNZ Nine to Noon Interview: NZ urged to embrace cryptocurrency: new report | | |
| New research funded by the Law Foundation urges the government and Reserve Bank to embrace cryptocurrency, saying the technology could unlock "vast potential benefits".
Cryptocurrency is money that only exists digitally or virtually and uses cryptography and blockchain technology to regulate its generation and verify fund transfers.
Its report, released today, warns the Government against attempting to ban the use of cryptocurrencies and argues it should instead actively support New Zealand becoming a blockchain and financial technology hub.
Kathryn talks with principal researcher is Alex Sims, Associate Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland Business School. | | | 28th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | TVNZ Breakfast: Experts urge NZ Government to get behind new crypto-currency technology | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims was interviewed by TVNZ Breakfast regarding the Law Foundation-funded research on 'Regulating Cryptocurrencies in New Zealand'. | | | 28th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Peter Griffin: The case for New Zealand's own cryptocurrency | | |
| Peter Griffin writes: "... a group of legal experts has drawn attention to New Zealand’s woeful lack of preparation for this crypto revolution, criticising our hands-off regulatory approach and indifference towards the innovation thriving in this area." | | | 28th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Interest.co.nz: Researchers call for the Reserve Bank, retail banks and other regulators to be kicked into gear to ensure NZ doesn't miss the blockchain boat | | |
| Jenée Tibshraeny reports on the findings of 'Regulating Cryptocurrencies in New Zealand' authored by Associate Professor Sims et al. | | | 28th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Sara Barker - All aboard the blockchain train: Academic says NZ needs to catch up fast | | |
| "Cryptocurrencies are here to stay, but New Zealand is not as innovative and agile as we like to think," Sara Barker reports after reviewing the findings from the research carried out by Associate Professor Alex Sims and her collaborators. | | | 28th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Andrew Munro - New Zealand Law Foundation-funded research says it’s time to do cryptocurrency | | |
| Andrew Munro writes: "The full report in all its 179-page glory (PDF) is so comprehensive that it could probably work as an adequate primer to bring a keen reader up to speed on how the technology works, to better make sense of its recommendations. It might have been intended to serve as New Zealand's blockchain bible for government decision-makers." | | | 28th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | RNZ Morning Report’s Business News (Interviewer: Nona Pelletier) | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims interviewed about findings from the ILAPP-supported research on cryptocurrencies: between 04:08 - 06:10. | | | 28th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Artificial Intelligence & The Law: Will It Take Us To Dark Places Too? | | |
| Otago University’s artificial intelligence research will help shed light on the effect of AI innovations on law and public policy in New Zealand, including a look at some potentially harmful implications from the powerful and fast-developing technology. The Otago initiative, Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand, is funded in part by the Law Foundation and is a three year multi-disciplinary project involving the Law Faculty and the Philosophy and Computer Science faculties. | | | 14th September 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Researchers argue backdoors violate encryption principles | | |
| University of Waikato researchers contend that building backdoors into encryption contravenes important encryption principles and should not be pursued as a matter of law and policy. | | | 30th August 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | New call for companies to front up over data mining | | |
| Kiwi companies should be upfront with customers about what their data-harvesting artificial intelligence programmes do, a new report finds. This report, published by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), comes after a group of Law Foundation-funded University of Otago experts called for a new watchdog to regulate how government-run AI sifted through Kiwi data. | | | 29th July 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Foundation's early investment in technology research bears fruit | | |
| A decade ago, the Law Foundation took the far-sighted step of establishing a specialist research centre at Otago University to study law and policy challenges for New Zealand arising from the adoption of new technologies. At that time, technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) were only just beginning to emerge. Now AI is with us – more than 140 New Zealand organisations, including many government agencies, are working with or investing in AI. | | | 29th June 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Researching the costs and benefits of artificial intelligence | | |
| Collaboration is under way between the Law Foundation-funded Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project (AILNZ) and the newly established Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Public Policy (CAIPP) at the University of Otago. | | | 30th May 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Thinking Outside the (Black) Box. The Problems and Perils of Algorithmic Decision-making - Kirby Seminar | | |
| "Is there a way to get the best from the science predictive analytics, while at the same time avoiding the traps of the ‘black box’?" - Colin Gavaghan, Director of NZLF-sponsored Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies discusses this question at the Kirby Seminar Series 2018, University of New England, NSW. | | | 14th May 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Director of NZLF's Emerging Tech Centre speaks on issues about the rise of algorithms at Privacy Forum | | |
| Colin asks many questions, such as “How can you maintain transparency when the algorithm is straightforward at the start but once it has been applied to data, it ‘learns’ and changes and as a result its decision-making process may become opaque?” Video recording of his presentation and panel discussion is at the FaceBook link below. | | | 9th May 2018 | | Publication information | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Chance to lead ethical use of AI | | |
| New Zealand could present itself as a "kind of role model" and an international leader in the ethical use of artificial intelligence, gaining benefits while avoiding the pitfalls, if the issues were carefully and openly studied. Prof Gavaghan, who is director of the Otago University's New Zealand Law Foundation Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies, said he and Otago philosopher Prof James Maclaurin would be co-directors of a new interdisciplinary Centre for AI and Public Policy that would give the Government access to "high-quality, expert advice on the legal, ethical and policy issues surrounding algorithmic analytics and other new technologies". | | | 8th May 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Otago Experts have been invited by Government to work on AI Framework | | |
| A government relationship is being formalised with the NZ Law Foundation-initiated Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies to shape the future of AI and predictive analytics software use in New Zealand. The University of Otago will be forming a new Centre for AI and Public Policy that will be headed by Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan who is the director of the NZLF's Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies at the Faculty of Law, as well as Professor James Maclaurin, Department of Philosophy, and Alistair Knott, Otago's Department of Computer Science. All three are co-investigators of the 'AI and Law in NZ' study that is funded by the NZ Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 2nd May 2018 | | Publication information | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Government is formalising its relationship with the Law Foundation Centre for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies | | |
| Government is formalising its relationship with Otago University's NZ Law Foundation for Law and Policy in Emerging Technologies with regard to the establishment of a Centre for AI and Public Policy. The aim of this is to allow opportunities for government to access high quality, expert advice on the legal, ethical and policy issues surrounding AI, algorithmic analytics and other new technologies. | | | 2nd May 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Investigating the written and unwritten laws of encryption | | |
| There is a common belief that encryption is largely unregulated. But based on their preliminary findings, researchers Dr Michael Dizon, Associate Professor Ryan Ko and Associate Professor Wayne Rumbles have found that there are a number of specific laws, technical policies, and social practices that control how encryption is actually accessed and used. | | | 30th April 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Call for Govt data-mining watchdog | | |
| A group of University of Otago academics say New Zealand should follow the United Kingdom in moving toward a new body to oversee the use of AI-based predictive tools. The experts, working under the Law Foundation-funded Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project, agreed there was a place for them but argued they needed to be watched, and that the public not be kept in the dark. | | | 22nd April 2018 | | Publication information | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Realising the Potential of Driverless Vehicles - recommendations for reform | | |
| Michael Cameron, recipient of the NZ Law Foundation 2016 International Research Fellowship, launched the book containing his research report and recommendations on "Realising the Potential of Driverless Vehicles". The technology relied upon by driverless vehicles will be dependent on data-driven insights, analysis and systems. Michael has investigated the legal, regulatory and policy issues that underpin as well as enable and provide safeguards for the uses of one of the most significant emerging technologies of the current time. | | | 19th April 2018 | | Publication information | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Where did it algo wrong? The threat and promise of predictive analytics | | |
| Attitudes to 'artificial intelligence' and predictive algorithms seem to oscillate between hype and hysteria. The true picture is a good deal more mixed, but as more examples of predictive analytics in government come to light, it's time for some proper oversight. | | | 19th April 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Research on Regulation of New Technology: Institutions and Processes | | |
| Research findings and recommendations from Dr James Every-Palmer, QC, on the regulation of new technology is available at https://ep.nz/papers. | | | 28th March 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | There is a simple reason for blockchain’s spectacular rate of development, says Alex Sims. No patents | | |
| "The question is: are our current intellectual property laws fit for purpose if three paradigm-shifting technologies – the internet, the world-wide-web and now the blockchain – are flourishing in the absence of protection under such laws?
"Granted, it would be irresponsible to abolish patent law unless other systems were put in place. In the short term, in regards to copyright law, the Australian Law Reform Commission recommends that to foster innovation, fair use needs to be implemented in Australia. New Zealand should follow this recommendation." | | | 23rd March 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | AI ‘engine of 4th industrial revolution’ | | |
| "While in New Zealand Ms Firth-Butterfield paid a visit to the University of Otago’s AI project. The Dunedin-based, Law Foundation-funded initiative might seem light years away from the presidents, prime ministers and CEOs Ms Firth-Butterfield usually deals with, but she said national projects such as the one in Otago were vital for the development of a worldwide framework for the implementation of ethical AI." | | | 3rd February 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Deciphering the encryption dilemma | | |
| To address the contentious issues surrounding access to and use of encryption, researchers at the University of Waikato plan to examine not just laws but also the other relevant rules that apply to the technology. Waikato researchers Associate Professor Wayne Rumbles, Associate Professor Ryan Ko and Dr Michael Dizon believe that a hard and inflexible stance is not supported by the research and is not conducive for finding an acceptable solution to the encryption dilemma. | | | 2nd February 2018 | | Publication information | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | AI and Responsibility | | |
| Otago researchers are investigating the implications of the artificial intelligence revolution on law, life and work. Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand is a three-year Law Foundation-funded project, examining possible law and public policy implications of AI innovations, ranging from crime prediction software, to autonomous vehicles, to the automation of work. The project team is led by Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan (Law), Associate Professor Alistair Knott (Computer Science) and Maclaurin, who brings expertise in ethics and the philosophy of science. | | | 28th January 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Medical technology could leave law behind, professor says | | |
| The Law Foundation-funded AI project is researching where the law is lagging behind developments in the AI field and exploring potential liability issues stemming from that. | | | 27th January 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2018 | Civil disputes online? Objection! | | |
| The introduction of an online forum to settle some civil disputes could raise issues about the role of the Court, says Dr Bridgette Toy-Cronin who has been awarded a grant funded by the Law Foundation under the Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 18th January 2018 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Forget Bitcoin, Blockchain technology is much bigger | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims, University of Auckland Business School, writes an opinion piece that opens by observing that while it is hard to find a person who has not heard about Bitcoin, few have heard about blockchain technology which promises to change society and the economy even more than the internet. | | | 17th December 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Dunedin Roundtable on Uses of Artificial Intelligence in the Criminal Justice System | | |
| ILAPP-funded researchers for the Artificial Intelligence study convened a roundtable in Dunedin involving seven invited speakers (see the link below for the roundtable programme). One of the speakers, Geoff Barnes, Director of Criminology, Western Australia Police Force, was interviewed by the Otago Daily Times. Geoff also visited Wellington to present at a Brown Bag Lunch, hosted by the Ministry of Justice on 13 December 2017, that reached out to policy advisors and officials, as well as NGOs and businesses. | | | 12th December 2017 | | Publication information | | ODT interview with Geoff Barnes |
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| 2017 | Is AI racist? Can we trust it? Is it dangerous to rely on AI? | | |
| Associate Professor Colin Gavaghan, one of the principal investigators for the Law Foundation's ILAPP-funded study on Artificial Intelligence asks and discusses a number of critical questions. AI will soon be omnipresent in our everyday lives, but it raises all sorts of legal and ethical questions: is it racist? Can we trust it? Who should be responsible when it causes harm? | | | 6th December 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Bitcoin price fall: Is it the beginning of the end? | | |
| ... Alex Sims, Associate Professor in the Department of Commercial Law and Head of Department of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland, agreed Blockchain and cryptocurrencies were likely to be the lasting developments thanks to Bitcoin. "What it's created is a new asset class and it's got major utility. ..." | | | 1st December 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Waikato Uni team to research governments’ power to order decryption | | |
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| 2017 | Teen's under-fire cryptocurrency offer withdrawn | | |
| Alex Sims, associate professor in commercial law at the University of Auckland, said the ICO space was presently fluid with a wide variety of offerings in the market. ... Sims said the FMA needed to allow ICOs to be set up in New Zealand, otherwise the business would go offshore - losing the country's capital and offering local investors no recourse to offshore ventures that went sour. | | | 28th November 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Tax on robots that take jobs would be 'stupid': manufacturers | | |
| [Auckland University head of commercial law Alex Sims] disagreed. This time, the effect that technology would have on workers was different, she said. | | | 26th November 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Oxford Roundtable on Uses of Artificial Intelligence in the Criminal Justice System | | |
| The Law Foundation ILAPP researchers for AI held a joint Oxford-Otago Universities Roundtable on Uses of AI in the Criminal Justice System on 23rd and 24th November. Participants and the programme for the roundtable is available at the weblink below. | | | 23rd November 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Cooking the Books podcast: Why you should be keeping an eye on bitcoin | | |
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| 2017 | Tackling policy challenges of the information age | | |
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| 2017 | Blockchain could save billions | | |
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| 2017 | Abandoning driver's seat to cut the road toll | | |
| You can cut the road toll to almost nothing, but you have to let a computer control your car. University of Otago researchers are contemplating the social, scientific, ethical and legal issues arising from technology such as driverless cars. | | | Otago Daily Times | | 17th October 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Controversial Blockchain system now available in NZ | | |
| Blockchain, the technology underpinning controversial digital currency bitcoin is making inroads to the mainstream in New Zealand and elsewhere.
Yesterday IBM announced a new low-cost international payments system which will be available in New Zealand using Blockchain - a way of securely conducting and recording electronic transactions without a database. Alex Sims of Auckland University's Department of Commercial Law says the IBM announcement is a huge validation of the technology, and it's just the beginning, she tells us. | | | Morning Report, Radio New Zealand | | 17th October 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | “Look Ma – No Hands” | | |
| Michael Cameron, whose research project “Realising the Potential of Autonomous Vehicles for New Zealand” is being funded by the Law Foundation, recently had his article published in the October 14-20 edition of the NZ Listener magazine. In his article “Look Ma – No Hands”, Michael highlights the key focus of his research, which is investigating the options for reforming the law to facilitate the safe and successful deployment of autonomous vehicles in New Zealand.
Michael was the 2016 recipient of New Zealand’s most prestigious law award, the NZ Law Foundation International Research Fellowship Te Karahipi Rangahau ā Taiao. Michael’s research is also part of the Law Foundation’s wider Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP), a $2 million fund dedicated to developing law and policy in New Zealand around IT, data, information, artificial intelligence and cyber security.
To read Michael’s article in the NZ Listener, subscribe at http://www.noted.co.nz/the-listener/ | | | The Listener | | 14th October 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Is ACC 'passing the buck' with prediction based evaluations? | | |
| Otago University researchers are warning that a computer-based risk prediction model to profile and target ACC clients may be compromising the agency's ability to make fair and humane decisions about the treatment of New Zealanders in need. ACC says the system, known as the "survival analysis model" has been used for three years and was designed to process claims more efficiently. Alistair Knott is from the University of Otago's Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project (AILNZ). He wants ACC to provide a public account of how it uses its predictive tool to make sure it isn't 'passing the buck' to a machine. AILNZ is funded by the NZ Law Foundation's Information Law and Policy Project. | | | 26th September 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | ACC’s computer-aided decision-making questioned by Otago experts | | |
| University of Otago researchers are warning of the potential pitfalls in government departments using computer-based risk prediction models, as has been recently revealed through a controversial new tool used by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) to profile and target clients.
The ACC uses a computer model to assist staff managing claims. However, details of what the model does, and how it is used, are somewhat sketchy, says spokesperson for the University’s Artificial Intelligence and Law in New Zealand Project, Associate Professor James Maclaurin. | | | 25th September 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Computer decision-making 'a real risk' - experts | | |
| Faculty of Law Professor Colin Gavaghan said predictive technologies showed potential for informing public decision-making. "But we are calling for ACC to provide a public account of how it uses its predictive tool, so as to maintain the integrity of its decision-making," he said. | | | 23rd September 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | On the road to driverless cars | | |
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| 2017 | The long game: Re-engineering your business for artificial intelligence | | |
| There’s something of a battle raging around the world with the giants of the technology sector lining up on opposing sides on how society should deal with the massive adoption of artificial intelligence. In New Zealand those at the coalface of AI say business leaders should be starting to prepare for AI, to understand the downstream impacts on their business and start getting in place a dedicated investment stream to re-engineer their business for the future.
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Dr Colin Gavaghan of Otago University is leading a New Zealand Law Foundation study looking at the possible implications of AI innovations for law and public policy in New Zealand. | | | New Zealand Management | | 21st September 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Presentation to The Treasury: The Disruptive Potential of Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology | | |
| Blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies such as Ether, is relatively new. The idea of Blockchain and the broader distributed ledger technology (DLT) - cryptographically locked peer-to-peer databases upon which new transactions can be appended, but previous transactions never deleted or changed - is deceptively simple, yet its effects are profound. As The Economist has stated, “[t]he technology behind bitcoin could transform how the economy works.” For example, just as crypto currencies have technically removed the need for intermediaries such as banks for some transactions, trusted intermediaries in other industries may be similarly redundant. Even the disrupters AirBnB and Uber, may in turn be disrupted. DLT is not, however, limited to decentralised uses. Financial institutions, industries such as insurance and shipping, governments and even central banks are actively working on transforming their services and reducing costs through the use of DLT. | | | Guest Lecture at The Treasury | | 6th September 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Auckland University Professor: Government Must Regulate Bitcoin & Ethereum | | |
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| 2017 | The rise of Artificial Intelligence | | |
| In an effort to understand and figure out some of the complex issues raised by Artificial Intelligence, the University of Otago announced a three-year project earlier this year with support from the Law Foundation, with the aim of looking into the possible implications of AI for law and public policy. | | | Boardroom Magazine, Institute of Directors | | 29th August 2017 | | webpage | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Auckland University Associate Professor Alex Sims on why the Government needs to get up with the play and start regulating cryptocurrencies | | |
| Auckland University Commercial Law Head of Department, Associate Professor Alex Sims, says legitimising digital payment systems through regulation is the first step to being able to make the most of blockchain technology.
In her eyes, regulating cryptocurrencies is more than just about enabling bitcoin investors to trade on secure platforms. It’s about laying the groundwork for all sorts of sectors to use blockchain technology to automate transactions, and transform the economy.
With blockchain already disrupting the way we do business, Sims says we can either resist it, or use it to our advantage. | | | Jenée Tibshraeny at www.interest.co.nz | | 28th August 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Getting to grips with artificial intelligence | | |
| Artificial intelligence (AI) is now the name of the game, with a multitude of industries and occupations embracing it with open arms. The legal profession is no exception and faces complex and diverse challenges as it comes to grips with technology that has the potential, among other things, to create AI lawyers. | | | ADLS | | 21st July 2017 | | webpage | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Cybercurrency exchange offers more than bitcoin for New Zealand dollars | | |
| University of Auckland Business school professor Alex Sims is leading a team developing the Trans-Tasman framework for blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
Blockchain acts like a public ledger for cryptocurrency transactions made up of a network of computers that process transactions.
This safeguards the system, because the network of servers would need to be individually hacked in order for the transaction amount to be altered – an impossible task, Sims said.
Sims said the lack of regulation, and banks behaviour towards cybercurrency businesses was short-sighted. | | | Julie Iles, www.stuff.co.nz | | 11th June 2017 | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | New projects prepare NZ for the information revolution | | |
| The Law Foundation’s new, dedicated $2 million fund for information law and policy research has kick-started some exciting new projects that will better prepare New Zealand for the challenges of the information age. | | | 2nd February 2017 | | Webpage | | Publication information |
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| 2017 | Major new study to tackle artificial intelligence law and policy | | |
| The possible implications of artificial intelligence (AI) innovations for law and public policy in New Zealand will be teased out in a new, ground-breaking Law Foundation study. A three-year multi-disciplinary project, supported by a $400,000 Law Foundation grant, is being run out of Otago University. Project team leader Dr Colin Gavaghan says that AI technologies – essentially, technologies that can learn and adapt for themselves – pose fascinating legal, practical and ethical challenges. | | | 19th January 2017 | | NZLF Press Release | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Cryptocurrency in crossfire as surge in dodgy transactions reported to police intel | | |
| Auckland University academic, Associate Professor Alex Sims, has warned that a climate of fear around Bitcoin and similar currencies could deprive New Zealanders of the technology's benefits. The NZ Law Foundation is funding a study in which Alex and legal & banking experts are examining regulation of Blockchain, the data structure powering Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. | | | John Weekes, NZ Herald | | 24th December 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Blockchain: Regulating a game-changing technology | | |
| “We are on the cusp of radical change, and this poses challenges for lawmakers and regulators around the world. ... Currently, there is no law regulating digital currencies in New Zealand. However, some people have had bank accounts closed because the bank suspected they were dealing in a digital currency,” says Associate Professor Alex Sims, head of the Business School's Department of Commercial Law. |
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| | UABS Insights, Business School, University of Auckland | | 20th December 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Three new projects funded from the ILAPP Fund | | |
| The New Zealand Law Foundation is delighted to announce research awards from the recent applications considered under the Law Foundation’s Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP). ILAPP is a catalyst for some exciting new research that will better prepare New Zealand for the challenges of the information age. The results of the research will be aimed at helping law- and policy-makers keep up with the bewildering pace of change across the technology spectrum. The New Zealand Law Foundation extends its thanks to all applicants who participated in the recent round. | | | 15th December 2016 | | Webpage | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Cryptocurrency, in Quarterly Typology Report Q1, Financial Intelligence Unit, NZ Police | | |
| Research, led by the University of Auckland Business School is being carried out by the Law Foundation’s NZD 2 million Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP. The research, titled “Regulating Digital Currencies that use Blockchain Technology”, deals with one of the most game-changing and challenging technology innovations in the world of business and finance. The aim of the research is to develop a legal framework for Blockchain regulation in New Zealand and Australia and to ensure the utmost balance between the interests of Blockchain stakeholders and the interests of regulators. | | | 15th December 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Trans-Tasman banking and legal experts focus on blockchain | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims leads a team of legal and banking experts to look into devising a Trans-Tasman framework to regulate the game-changing technology behind Bitcoin and some 300 other cryptocurrencies. | | | 29th November 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Auckland University academic leading research project on regulating digital currencies keen to see consumers, not just banks, benefit | | |
| "There's a lot of work being done all around the world on crypto-currencies. What we're doing is looking at what's going on and then we're going to make suggestions for how that could be regulated in New Zealand or Australia," says Alexandra Sims, associate professor and head of commercial law at the University of Auckland Business School. "We're not coming from a bank, we're independent researchers. We're not trying to prop up any current business models or anything," Sims said. She notes that banks and credit card companies are aware their role as gate-keepers and middlemen is under threat. | | | Gareth Vaughan at www.interest.co.nz | | 29th November 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Blockchain rules: regulating a game-changing new technology | | |
| Associate Professor Alex Sims from the University of Auckland, who is leading the team tasked with developing the Trans-Tasman framework thanks to a Law Foundation grant of about $50,000, says: “We’re on the cusp of radical and disruptive change, and this poses challenges for lawmakers and regulators around the world. With major companies such as Microsoft now accepting virtual currency payments, it’s feasible that blockchain technology will become ubiquitous within the next decade.” | | | 28th November 2016 | | Publication information | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Regulating revolutionary new digital currencies | | |
| University of Auckland Business School Associate Professor Alexandra Sims is lead researcher for the Foundation’s new project examining the regulation of digital currencies that use blockchain technology. She says digital currencies are poised to revolutionise the finance world and beyond, and pose challenges for lawmakers and regulators around the world. | | | 8th November 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Determining our future: Artificial Intelligence | | |
| Opportunities and challenges for New Zealand: A call to action.
We also call for greater collaboration and co-ordination among AI researchers, policymakers and industry members at sector level. We welcome the New Zealand Law Foundation’s recent launch of the Information Law & Policy Project to develop law and policy around information technology, data, information and cyber-security. We encourage similar work in other sectors where AI will play an important role. | | | 14th October 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Research is Underway on Regulating New Digital Currencies | | |
| The first research project for the Law Foundation’s $2m Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP)* is already underway.
It is titled “Regulating Digital Currencies that use Blockchain Technology” and it deals with one of the most game-changing and challenging technology innovations in the world of business and finance.
University of Auckland Business School Associate Professor Alexandra Sims is the lead researcher for this project. She says digital currencies are poised to revolutionise the finance world and beyond, and this poses challenges for lawmakers and regulators around the world. | | | 13th October 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | New project to prepare NZ for technology change impacts | | |
| As New Zealand’s major funder of independent legal research, the Law Foundation is uniquely placed to run this project. We will work collaboratively with government and private interests, but the research outcomes must serve the wider public rather than any particular vested interest. We expect the projects to have practical outcomes, in particular on how New Zealand can gain commercially, and be protected, through technology developments. While the rapidly-evolving information landscape makes the development of lasting law and policy solutions especially challenging, we expect the projects to identify ongoing issues and propose solution frameworks. | | | 8th September 2016 | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Unveils ILAPP project | | |
| We expect the projects to have practical outcomes, in particular on how New Zealand can gain commercially, and be protected, through technology developments. For example, how can New Zealand’s predominantly small businesses, lacking expertise and scale, unlock the economic value of their data?” [quoting Lynda Hagen, Director of the New Zealand Law Foundation] | | | 25th August 2016 | | Webpage | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | $2 million information law research fund launched | | |
| [The Law Foundation] says university law schools are working closely with it on the project and a special feature will be the collaborative approach to research. | | | 25th August 2016 | | Webpage | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | NZ Law Foundation launches $2M information law and policy research fund | | |
| The New Zealand Law Foundation has taken the wraps off an independent, $2 million research fund that seeks to support projects that prepare policy and legislature for the rapid advance of information technology. | | | 24th August 2016 | | Webpage | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | Information Law and Policy Project launched – an important contribution | | |
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| 2016 | $2m fund launched to support IT law policy | | |
| University law schools are collaborating with the foundation and other consultants include the government’s 2015 cyber-security strategy, InternetNZ, the Innovation Partnership, the Data Futures Partnership, Google New Zealand, Spark and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. | | | 23rd August 2016 | | Webpage | | Publication information |
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| 2016 | New $2M fund for research on information challenges | | |
| A new, independent $2 million research fund is now available for projects that will better prepare New Zealand for the challenges of the information age.“The New Zealand Law Foundation’s Information Law and Policy Project (ILAPP), launched at Parliament tonight by Justice and Communications Minister Amy Adams, will develop law and policy around IT, data, information and cyber-security. | | | 23rd August 2016 | | Webpage | | Publication information | | Scoop article |
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