How much, if any, is the total budget in the Minister's departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, for the 2026/27 financial year on artificial intelligence- including costs on training staff, deploying systems, maintaining subscriptions and any other associated costs?

Answer

Department of Internal Affairs: I am advised by the Department of Internal Affairs that there is no consolidated budget for artificial intelligence. Subscription costs are incorporated within existing software budgets, rather than separately itemised. Deployment and training costs are considered on a case-by-case basis and no specific budget has been allocated at this time. Classification Office: I am advised by the Classification Office that it does not have ring-fenced funding for spend on Artificial Intelligence. Lotto NZ: I am advised that Lotto NZ has a budget allocation of $21,857 for the 2026/27 financial year on artificial intelligence. Fire and Emergency New Zealand: I am advised that Fire and Emergency New Zealand have a budget allocation of $410,000 for the 2026/27 financial year for artificial intelligence spending.