How can you verify something is what it appears to be? Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Associate Professor Markus Luczak-Roesch will lead a two-year, $2 million Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge (SfTI) research project looking for data and computer science solutions to that age-old question.
Associate Professor Luczak-Roesch, from Wellington School of Business and Government’s School of Information Management, says the team will investigate and develop technology which can verify whether a product is what it appears to be.
“Whether it’s a natural product, a digital product, or data, it is increasingly difficult to know if something is truly what we think it is. For example, how do you know for sure where a product is made or whether the claims made about it by the producer are authentic?
“This research project aims to employ cutting edge science to create a platform that can securely trace and track claims made about any product across complex value ecosystems.”
The Veracity Technology project, which kicks off this month, is a SfTI Spearhead Research project. The project is the result of an in-depth mission design process, which included a series of large-scale online design thinking workshops involving Māori, industry representatives, and leading scientists.
The project’s goal is to build technology which can check truthfulness and authenticity for industries and applications. The project also aims to create a collaborative multidisciplinary research lab that will keep Aotearoa New Zealand at the forefront of veracity technology.
“This research project has the potential to make a difference for New Zealand businesses who are trading products and services they want consumers to trust,” Associate Professor Luczak-Roesch says. “It is also a key part of moving into a trustworthy and equitable digital future with more and more artificial intelligence involved in decisions that have direct impact on our lives.”
Find out more about veracity technology in this Question and Answer with Associate Professor Luczak-Roesch and Vision Mātauranga leader Associate Professor Māui Hudson from the University of Waikato.
The Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge
The Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge (SfTI) is one of the 11 National Science Challenges. SfTI is a 10-year (2014-24), multi-million dollar Government investment whose mission is to grow a hi-tech economy via the physical sciences and engineering. SfTI is hosted by Callaghan Innovation.