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AI governance rooted in community accountability
Tracey Savelio brings something rare to AI governance: lived experience of the communities most at risk when AI goes wrong. As founder of Inati Labs and Tokelau In Tech, she has spent years working at the intersection of Pacific community needs and emerging technology — building frameworks for how digital systems can serve, rather than extract from, communities that have historically had limited agency over their own data.
Her work as a Pacific Advisory Forum member and active contributor to AI Forum NZhas positioned her as one of New Zealand's most credible voices on ethical AI for indigenous and Pacific communities. The question she returns to constantly: who benefits from AI, who carries its risks, and who gets to decide?
“For Pacific and Māori organisations, data governance isn't just compliance — it's cultural. The AI tools your organisation uses must be held to the same standards as your relationships with your community.”
— Tracey Savelio, Head of Public Relations
Why cultural data governance matters for AI
When most organisations discuss AI data governance, they focus on security and compliance. For Pacific and Māori organisations, the stakes are broader. Community data carries cultural weight. Stories, genealogies, land relationships, and health records held by iwi and Pacific organisations are not simply information — they are expressions of identity and collective wellbeing. Tracey's work ensures Sovata's deployments reflect this reality, with access controls and data handling policies designed around community tikanga, not just technical defaults.
Background and affiliations
Areas of expertise
Discuss your community AI needs
If your organisation serves Pacific or Māori communities and you're navigating AI governance questions, book a free Discovery Call. Tracey works directly with our founding partner organisations.
Book a Discovery CallA free Discovery Call takes one hour. We'll tell you honestly where AI can help, what it will take, and whether a Founding Partner arrangement is the right fit.
Free · No commitment · One hour · New Zealand-based