How much, if any, was spent in the 2025/26 financial year in the Minister's departments, agencies, crown entities and any other bodies that the Minister is responsible for, if any, on artificial intelligence, including costs on training staff, deploying systems, maintaining subscriptions and any other associated costs?

Answer

The New Zealand Defence Force incurred $219,696.35 in artificial intelligence (AI)-related expenditure during the 2025/26 financial year. This figure comprises identified costs associated with AI initiatives, systems, and related services. The NZDF also utilises Microsoft Copilot under its existing Microsoft 365 licensing arrangements. As Copilot functionality is incorporated within broader Microsoft 365 subscription costs, it is not possible to separately identify or quantify the expenditure attributable specifically to Copilot from the available financial information. Ministry of Defence: Nil. The Ministry’s use of Microsoft Copilot within the Defence Information Environment is part of the existing Microsoft 365 licence.