Dr Mawera Karetai

Lately, I hear people talking about artificial intelligence everywhere; in cafés, classrooms, community meetings, and at the Board table. It’s become one of those phrases people throw around with equal parts fascination and fear. Yet as I listen, I often realise that many don’t always grasp what AI is. What they don’t always see is that AI has already quietly integrated itself into nearly every part of our daily lives.

When we talk about AI today, it feels new, but the story began decades ago. The concept emerged in the 1950s when computer scientists like Alan Turing and John McCarthy started asking whether machines could “think.” Back then, computers filled entire rooms and could only perform basic calculations. The dream of an intelligent machine seemed distant. Over the following decades, researchers built systems that could play chess, translate languages, and even make simple decisions. They weren’t perfect, but they were the beginning.

By the 1990s and early 2000s, progress accelerated as computers became cheaper and faster. Machine learning (the idea that computers could learn from data rather than just follow instructions) changed everything. The internet produced massive amounts of that data, and suddenly AI could “train” itself to recognise speech, patterns, faces, and habits. From there, its presence spread, silently but pervasively, into everyday routines.

Think about how many moments in a single day now depend on AI without us noticing:

• When we unlock our phones using facial recognition.
• Whenever online banking systems flag suspicious activity.
• When music or video platforms recommend what we should watch or listen to next.
• When Google Maps adjusts our route to avoid traffic.
• When our inbox filters out spam.
• When supermarkets stock items based on purchasing algorithms.
• When we talk to Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, all powered by natural language processing.

In medicine, AI tools are now routinely used to interpret medical images such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. These same technologies can pick up early signs of more than a thousand diseases, from Alzheimer’s to kidney disease, long before symptoms appear. In pathology, deep learning models process tissue and blood samples twice as fast as humans, identifying abnormal cells using pattern-recognition algorithms.

While it is woven into tools we depend on, of course, there are serious ethical questions about data, bias, and the changing nature of work. Part of engaging thoughtfully with AI starts with recognising how ordinary it’s become, not just a distant technology but a living, learning system that quietly supports daily decision-making, convenience, and connection.

In this new reality, data security is one of our most important responsibilities. AI systems only work because they learn from data, and the more we use them, the more often it is our data. That includes everything from the photos we share to the searches we make and the posts we like. Overseeing agencies now recommend some simple but crucial habits: use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication; encrypt sensitive files; keep metadata accurate and up-to-date; and always read permissions before sharing data or using a new AI tool.​ AI can make brilliant use of data, but it can also be manipulated through poor-quality or malicious data, what experts call “data poisoning.” The more careful we are about where our information goes, the less likely we are to be exploited by algorithms that turn personal data into commercial or behavioural profiling. That is why supporting our children in the safe use of AI is very important.

Education is changing fast, and our tamariki are growing up surrounded by learning tools that think, predict, and personalise. This can be exciting!  Imagine having a study partner who helps explain any topic, or tools that adapt lessons to each child’s pace. But it also comes with challenges.​ Our young people need to know how to use AI responsibly. That means understanding that AI can be a powerful helper, but not a replacement for thinking, creativity, or empathy. The advice from educators and researchers is clear:

• Encourage open conversations with your child about how they’re using AI for schoolwork.
• Help them learn when it’s appropriate to use AI, and when it’s important to rely on their own judgement.
• Remind them that learning should still feel challenging; shortcuts through AI tools can rob them of true growth.​
• Model healthy digital habits yourself, because children learn far more from what we do than what we say.

Teaching critical thinking, curiosity, and data awareness is our best way of preparing them for this era. As whānau and educators, our goal isn’t to shield them from technology but to help them flourish within it, grounded in human connection, cultural identity, and ethical understanding. AI may be quietly shaping our world, but our choices still shape how it serves us, and how it serves the generations to come.