As an initiative supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), TAIAO is committed to promoting and facilitating the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and data science in New Zealand's environmental sector.
In this newsletter, you’ll find more information about:
AI Science and Summer Lab
A deep dive into the first series of the TAIAO podcast
A website update – ‘Highlights of the month’
What’s coming up
AI Science and Summer Lab
On 19 February – 20 February, the AI Science and Summer Lab was held at the University of Auckland. This free programme aimed to help emerging researchers with practical AI and data science skills, while also encouraging transdisciplinary collaboration. As part of the event, our very own TAIAO team member Professor Albert Bifet led a full-day workshop.
Day one was packed with hands‑on workshops in Python and R, along with expert talks on ethical AI in health and Māori algorithmic sovereignty. It also included real‑world case studies showcasing AI and data‑science innovation, finishing with a panel discussion on the rapidly evolving skills landscape.
Day two was all about deep diving into practical machine-learning tools with Professor Bifet. The participants were introduced to the WEKA (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis) and MOA (Massive Online Analysis) were created by TAIAO members to make machine learning more accessible through graphical interfaces. The workshop gave participants a wider range of resources to support their research in the world of AI.
The event brought together a diverse group of attendees including participants from New Zealand universities, Public Research Organisations, and independent research organisations.
A deep dive into the new TAIAO: Quantum Machine Learning podcast
The first series of our TAIAO Podcast on Quantum Machine Learning is now available on our website. The series gives an inside look into the DelphiQ team’s journey to becoming finalists in the World Bank Climate Risk Challenge, along with insights into how Quantum Machine Learning can be applied in the real world.
Recorded at the Quantum World Congress 2025, host Léa Cassé is joined by Jacinta May and Nicolas De Matteis, all members of the DelphiQ team. Together, they discuss a range of topics across five short episodes.
Episode 1 - The team and the story behind their project submitted for the World Bank Climate Risk Challenge.
Episode 2 - How environmental data streams can be transformed into actionable insights using hybrid quantum-classical approaches.
Episode 3 - How quantum algorithms fit into a real pipeline.
Episode 4 – Reflections on the human, technical, and business challenges the team encountered during their project including learning curves and working under real constraints and deadlines.
Episode 5 – A discussion on what realistic quantum advantage means in the modern world and where quantum machine learning can add value. The team also proposes ideas for future TAIAO mini challenges to test quantum methods on meaningful environmental problems.
A second series is already in the works and will feature more expert conversations and useful information on Quantum methods and environmental data streams.
You can find a link to the podcast on our website.
Stay up to date with our ‘Highlights of the month’
If you haven't already seen, we have made a few updates to our website which include a new 'Highlights of the month' section.
You can stay up to date with what’s new by checking out this section monthly. Head over to the website now to see our highlights for this month: https://www.taiao.net/
What's coming up
Research & Publications page
We’re excited to announce the upcoming launch of the TAIAO Research and Publications page.
This will be available on our website and will bring together research, reports, and technical output from our TAIAO members. It will offer easy access to the large body of work that the team has produced, contributing significantly to the world of AI and environmental science. It will showcase the growing impact of our research and the collaborations we have built over the past few years.
TAIAO Talks
A new TAIAO talks episode with Nick Lim on the flood protection tool will soon be available on the TAIAO website. The episode will dive into what the tool is, how it’s been used, and the impact it has made for researchers.
Our previous episode of TAIAO Talks with Heitor Gomes on CAPYMoa is still available to watch on our website. Make sure to check it out if you haven’t already done so.
Nga mihi,
TAIAO team.
Follow us on https://nz.linkedin.com/company/taiao-ai.
