The Artificial Intelligence Forum of New Zealand brings together innovators, investors, regulators and academia to develop new opportunities in AI. The forum advocates for beneficial uses of AI – with a particular focus on environmental management and social impact – and related emerging technologies. Members include major companies in New Zealand and Australia, as well as global players like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
As part of the rapidly-emerging global community of AI policy and industry groups, and an influential member of the Pacific tech community, the need for an identity that could communicate uniquely Aotearoa New Zealand values and aesthetics was vital to the team.
AI Forum NZ needed an identity that clearly communicated its mission, which balances:
• Driving benefits for New Zealand’s diverse society, particularly indigenous Māori and the fast-growing Pasifika population
• Stewardship of the natural environment
• A positive approach to emerging AI technologies
Our goal was to bridge these contrasting requirements, building trust with members and potential members, in a contemporary system that would generate discussion and appeal.
Instant recognition and associations are created by referencing the familiar. So for an organization communicating with a broad and sometimes global audience, it was important to us to develop a unique symbol with a form that would feel recognizable both to regular New Zealanders as much as it does the wider tech industry.
We built on the inherent rotational properties of the almost-ubiquitous "AI Spiral" and combined them with a digital interpretation of traditional Māori raranga weaving patterns. This created a symbol that is instantly understandable in context, and has a positive alternative read of the Sun, while still feeling new and catalytic.
AIFNZ's colors reflect familiar features of New Zealand's natural environment - native birds, flowers and minerals - and are named after them in Māori, with a more pumped-up technical "Kākāriki" green adding visual energy to AI-related topics. Kākāriki are familiar to all New Zealanders as the brightly colored parakeet that has leant its Māori name to bright green.
For organizations dealing with the impact of AI on society and culture, it's natural to explore generative AI for content and imagery. As nascent technologies undergoing rapid and significant evolution, they must be approached with thoughtfulness and a deep understanding of their potential utility.
As early adopters of generative AI for strategy and creative work, we explored several tools, creating content examples and establishing principles and guidelines for ethical usage in content to ensure the organization had a clear and robust approach for the future.
The leadership team announced the brand update at their premier event, Aotearoa AI Summit 2023, in late September, to an enthusiastic reception from their members. (Following image is a mockup)
"I am super excited to be launching the new branding!
The logo is impressive and will allow me to weave a very connected story from our environment to technology, from the technology of te ao Tahito (from our older Aotearoa) to the interconnectedness and rippling effects of our modern technology.
I am very appreciative of the work that has been carried out by Supermoon to bring our imagery to connecting us to the here and now.
Thank you all for the wonderful effort you have put in to support us."
Megan Tapsell, Chairperson
