Self-driving boat on show in Nelson

A self-driving boat is the latest development in Nelson's burgeoning artificial intelligence sector.

The vessel and its autonomous software were unveiled during Minister Judith Collin's visit to the city on Friday where she heaped praise on the Nelsonians leading the charge for the emerging technology.

The council is also tapping into AI technology for analysis and responding to submissions from residents.

From students to chief executives, iwi leaders to educators, residents got to show the Minister of Science, Innovation, and Technology how they were employing the emerging technology when she visited the Nelson AI Sandbox.

"We really do have this interwoven AI community here," said co-founder Richard Brudvik-Lindner.

The AI Sandbox has engaged with thousands of residents to demystify artificial intelligence and to make it more accessible and less scary for swathes of the region.

"Our goal is to build prosperity in a community that has the second-poorest productivity in the nation and the poorest economic growth forecast, and to strengthen the social capital, while making our community more resilient and enabled."

Many of those who shared their artificial intelligence journeys with Collins credited the AI Sandbox with enabling them to make use of the technology, such as Nelson City Council's group manager strategy and communications.

"We've got lots of rising costs, inflation, interest rates, depreciation to set aside," said Nicky McDonald.

"On the other hand, we have ratepayers who are struggling financially in a cost-of-living crisis, and we see AI as one of the tools that can help us bridge that gap."

The council has begun using AI to deliver services more cost-effectively, such as during its most recent long-term plan process when the technology was used for sentiment analysis and replying to the 1500 submitters to the plan.

Collins, a self-described "AI champion" thought it was "great" the council was beginning to use artificial intelligence.

"We are not a world leader in agriculture and aquaculture and horticulture because we did exactly the same that we inherited ... it's actually because people decided they had to be innovative," she said.

"This is what we have to do with AI ... we cannot go down this pathway of increasing productivity without its use."

She applauded Brudvik-Lindner for beginning to break down barriers and introduce AI to Nelsonians.

"What we've got to do is push that fear away and put the hope out there. When people start seeing benefits to them in their actual lives, then they get to see why we should have it."

One of those potential benefits of AI are the capabilities of the Guardian Mission Management software that was officially launched during Collins' visit.

Developed by local company Marine AI, the technology allows boats to drive themselves.

"Our software is designed to take in all the different inputs from all the different sensors, and look at charts, look at all different bits and pieces - collision, regulations, etcetera - and make close decisions far quicker than we can," said managing director Sean Doggett.

For example, it could navigate a path through a crowded cluster of boats, he said.

"A skipper can do that ... but rather than him having to try and work that one out, the system could do that on the fly in milliseconds."

A single skipper could potentially "set and forget" pathing for several different ships and simply monitor them remotely as they go about their tasks.

"It means that more operations can take place at sea using unmanned vessels, so they can actually increase their productivity."

The self-driving software has been successfully tested in Tasman Bay and is now ready to be deployed around the country.

The technology leverages the UK's Guardian AI platform which has been in use internationally for decades and Doggett assured that the autonomous driving was safe, though the monitoring skippers can jump in and take back control if they need to, with an Xbox controller.

The technology is thought to have applications in fishing, transport, freight, defence, and surveying services.

Collins visited the Marine AI ship Thetis, which employs the software during her visit.

"This is some great AI tech. I just love this. I look forward to the day when I can take my automated vehicle and go and do what I want to do, rather than me have to drive it," she said.

"I see huge opportunity for it."

Doggett hopes the software will help New Zealand meet its target of growing the aquaculture industry to $3 billion by 2035.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.