Has Artificial Intelligence been used as part of the Biometric Capability Upgrade; if so, how much has been spent on Artificial Intelligence software?

Answer

INZ has used Artificial Intelligence in the form of biometric matching algorithms since 2016. One of the goals of the Biometric Capability Update (BCU) was to update the biometric algorithms responsible for facial and fingerprint matching. The BCU did not use any other form of (analytical, predictive, generative, or agentic) Artificial Intelligence. The cost of the updated biometric matching algorithms formed part of the overall cost of the BCU solution. The BCU project has now been discontinued and a review into its failure will be commissioned by the Public Service Commission.