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Has Artificial Intelligence been used as part of the Biometric Capability Upgrade; if so, which artificial intelligence software has been used?

Answered Question 25930 (2026)
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Asked by

Phil Twyford

Member for Te Atatū · Labour Party

Question

  • Has Artificial Intelligence been used as part of the Biometric Capability Upgrade; if so, which artificial intelligence software has been used?

Answered by

Hon Erica Stanford

Member for East Coast Bays · National Party · Minister of Immigration

Answer

I am advised that 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 BCU project has now been discontinued and a review into its failure will be commissioned by the Public Service Commission.