Opinion: New Zealand's public service job cuts before AI adoption is the wrong sequence, says Justin Flitter
By
Justin Flitter
Tired, dry, slightly forgotten on the back of the tray.
Summary
Justin Flitter argues that New Zealand's government is making a strategic error by cutting 9,000 public service jobs first and turning to AI as a replacement. He contends the correct sequence should be: build the context engine (domain knowledge, operational context, governance, and trust layer) first, then redesign workflows, then realize efficiency gains. This approach would make the public service more capable and resilient, not just smaller.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledBuild the context engine first: that's the domain knowledge, operational context, governance protocols and trust layer that let AI amplify capability instead of compounding risk.
Then redesign the workflows. Then realise the efficiency. In that sequence, AI makes the public service more capable and more resilient, not just smaller, he says.
The Government's announcement of close to 9000 public service job cuts and artificial intelligence as the replacement is the most consequential AI decision New Zealand has made this year. It is also operationally backward.
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