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Rangahau · Doctoral thesis

Mātāhihiko: A Māori-Led Framework for AI in Māori Tertiary Education

About this research

Karamea Tina Tukukino (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Tamatera), Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi

The aim of this research is to co-develop a values-based evaluative framework that supports ethical AI integration in Māori tertiary educational contexts. The concept of Mātāhihiko invokes the synergy between ancestral wisdom and contemporary technologies, positioning Māori educational institutions as leaders in shaping ethical, culturally grounded applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The term Mātāhihiko is inspired by the whakataukī:

Ka noho te mātāpuputu, ka haere te mātātahi

“The aged deliberates while the young rush in.”

This whakataukī captures the dynamic tension between wisdom and innovation. Linguistically, mātā refers to a collective, while hihiko denotes energy, cleverness, and innovation (Waaka, 2006). Thus, Mātāhihiko signifies “a collective of innovative minds.”

The objectives of this research are to examine how AI technologies are currently integrated within Māori educational contexts, particularly Wānanga and Kaupapa Māori learning environments; to identify the cultural, ethical, and governance challenges that arise in AI integration, including issues of data sovereignty, tikanga alignment, and institutional responsibility; and to co-develop a values-based evaluative framework.

This research addresses a critical question: How can AI technologies be ethically integrated into Māori tertiary education in ways that respect tikanga and uphold the integrity of Indigenous knowledge?

Karamea Tina Tukukino (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Tamatera), Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi

The aim of this research is to co-develop a values-based evaluative framework that supports ethical AI integration in Māori tertiary educational contexts. The concept of Mātāhihiko invokes the synergy between ancestral wisdom and contemporary technologies, positioning Māori educational institutions as leaders in shaping ethical, culturally grounded applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

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