Want to Change AI? Change the Stories You Tell
When we talk about Artificial Intelligence, we often focus on fixing the machines.
But what if the real power lies in changing the stories we tell?
The Stories That Shape AI
Imagine a family gathering.
Your cousin says, “Nana was just a housewife who cooked a lot.”
But you remember her differently …
” A master weaver who held your whānau together through the Depression, spoke three languages, and fed anyone who knocked on her door.”
Same person. Completely different legacy.
And whichever version gets shared online becomes the one AI learns.
AI Learns From What We Share
Every time we post on social media, record oral histories, or write family stories online, we’re feeding AI training data. The question is: are we feeding it our truth, or someone else’s version of us?
What often dominates the data are narratives of struggle and deficit.
What’s missing are stories of innovation, everyday brilliance, and the way Indigenous communities have always adapted, created, and led.
The Stories We Need More Of
AI amplifies whatever stories dominate its data.
If we want technology to reflect our realities, we need to share more of:
Indigenous innovation and creativity
Everyday acts of resilience
Contemporary excellence alongside tradition
When we balance the narrative, we help AI see us in full colour — not through a single historical snapshot.
The Stories You Control
We don’t need to be programmers to shape how AI understands us.
We can all contribute to better representation by:
Documenting our real family stories
Sharing Indigenous success stories
Correcting misconceptions when we see them
Celebrating contemporary culture and identity
Every story told is a vote for the future we want AI to understand.
One Story, Infinite Impact
When you share the whole story of your nana the weaver, instead of letting her be reduced to “housewife,” you do more than honour her memory —
You change the data itself.
AI learns about Indigenous women’s leadership, your whānau remembers her strength, and future generations inherit a richer narrative.
We don’t need to reprogram machines — we need to tell the right stories.