Source: Burnett Foundation Aotearoa
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa is launching a national Innovation Challenge to explore how artificial intelligence can responsibly accelerate progress toward zero locally acquired HIV transmissions, and support people living with HIV.
The Innovation Challenge will fund two seed-stage concepts at approximately $30,000 each, inviting technologists, designers and digital health innovators to use AI enabled tools to support prevention, access to trusted information, and dignity in high-trust environments.
“AI is here. People are already asking it questions about HIV. Some of the answers are helpful. Some are not. Some quietly amplify stigma. We believe the question is not whether AI will shape the future of HIV prevention, but how.” says Chief Executive, Liz Gibbs.
“We are working at the intersection of complex forces, sexuality, culture, migration, technology, misinformation and stigma. AI can either amplify harm in that space or help dismantle it. We are choosing to shape what AI does.”
The Innovation Challenge is supported by funding from Perpetual Guardian. Their backing reflects a shared belief that responsible innovation can strengthen community wellbeing and accelerate progress toward zero HIV transmission.
To guide this work, Burnett Foundation Aotearoa has established an independent Innovation Advisory Group comprising of leaders across technology, law, data ethics, public health, Māori leadership, Pacific communities, and lived experience. They provide expert and community-informed advice on Challenge design, selection criteria, ethical guardrails, cultural safety, and data governance. It exists to ensure the Innovation Challenge reflects best practice and advances the Foundations mission responsibly.
“This is not about chasing technology for its own sake,” Gibbs says. “We have deliberately established strong advisory oversight to ensure every step is grounded in ethics, cultural safety, and the lived realities of our communities.”
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa’s Innovation Challenge is grounded in privacy-by-design, with meaningful involvement of people living with HIV, and respect for Māori and Pacific data sovereignty.
In its first year, Burnett is deliberately weighting technical credibility and trust more heavily than conceptual novelty, reflecting the high-stakes environment in which these solutions will operate. The Innovation Challenge is not funding research-based initiatives, which are supported through other Burnett initiatives.
Aotearoa has long been regarded as a global leader in HIV prevention and community-led response. Burnett Foundation Aotearoa believes the country has an opportunity to lead again. “New Zealand could be one of the first countries in the world to achieve zero transmission. Responsible technology could help accelerate that to as soon as 2030. We are not waiting to see what happens, we are stepping forward into the innovation space.”
Solutions successfully developed through this Challenge will not only have national impact, but the potential to scale internationally across the global HIV response and adjacent high-stigma health environments.
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa is calling on AI developers, digital health startups, product designers and technologists to attend an upcoming online briefing to learn more about the Innovation Challenge.
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa Innovation Advisory Group
Burnett has established an Innovation Advisory Group of internal leaders and external experts across technology, law, data ethics, public health, and Māori and Pacific leadership. Together, they ensure the Innovation Challenge is culturally grounded, ethical, and practically informed.
Tom Barraclough Advisor, consultant and co-founder of the Brainbox Institute and Syncopate Lab, working at the intersection of technology, law, and public policy. Tom strengthens the Challenge’s approach to ethical AI, digital regulation, and human rights-informed system design.
Sandra Kailahi Award-winning journalist, producer and founder of Kingston Productions and board member of The Cause Collective. Sandra brings deep expertise in Pacific storytelling, digital media, and community-centred innovation.
Emma MacDonald Senior leader in data ethics and innovation at StatsNZ and member of the AI Forum of New Zealand Executive Council. Emma brings national leadership in responsible, inclusive data governance and emerging technology oversight.
Rodrigo Olin-GermanHIV advocate, health promoter, peer educator and facilitator. His academic and professional background is in economics and public health; he has worked in the HIV sector for almost 20 years. He has tirelessly dedicated himself to promote and uphold the rights of people living with HIV and debunk HIV stigma and discrimination. Rodrigo has been living with HIV since 2003. He currently serves as Chair of the Board at the Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+), and as Senior Services and Community Outreach Manager at Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.
Reremoana Ormsby Lam Sheung Pou Māori at Burnett Foundation Aotearoa. Reremoana provides cultural leadership and strategic guidance to ensure Burnett’s work is grounded in kaupapa Māori values, Te Tiriti commitments, and community accountability. An experienced executive leader, her practice is shaped by years of holding wānanga and navigating complexity alongside whānau and communities. She strengthens the Challenge’s approach to cultural safety, Māori data sovereignty, and meaningful partnership with tangata whenua and takatāpui Māori.
