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AI regulation in Papua New Guinea: laws & policy (2026)

AI in Papua New Guinea: proposed.

Papua New Guinea has no AI-specific law or binding AI regulation in force as of May 2026. The government released two draft documents for public consultation in early 2026, the Government AI Adoption Framework (February) and the National Sovereign Digital Transformation and AI Strategy (March), both outlining a risk-based, data-sovereignty-centred approach. Dedicated legislation including a National Artificial Intelligence Act and a Data Governance and Protection Act has been signalled but not yet introduced to Parliament.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Papua New Guinea with other countries

Legal framework

Draft Government AI Adoption Framework (February 2026) and Draft National Sovereign Digital Transformation and AI Strategy (March 2026), overseen by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). A proposed National Artificial Intelligence Act is planned but not yet enacted.

Key points: artificial intelligence in Papua New Guinea

  1. Draft AI Adoption Framework

    Released February 27, 2026 by the Acting ICT Minister for public consultation. The framework positions AI as the 'engine room' of government decision-making under a model of Digital Government × Digital Public Infrastructure ^ AI, covering recruitment, contract awards, and policy development.

    ict.gov.pg ict.gov.pg

  2. Draft National AI Strategy

    The Draft National Sovereign Digital Transformation and AI Strategy was published March 23, 2026 for broad stakeholder consultation. It expands the AI Adoption Framework into a whole-of-government blueprint covering sovereignty, cloud infrastructure, digital identity (SevisPass), and AI capability.

    ict.gov.pg dig.watch

  3. Proposed AI Legislation

    Both draft documents call for the enactment of a National Artificial Intelligence Act and a Data Governance and Protection Act. Neither bill has been introduced to Parliament as of the consultation period.

    dig.watch ict.gov.pg

  4. Data Sovereignty and Cultural Protection

    The DICT Secretary explicitly warned that reliance on foreign-trained AI models risks misrepresenting Pacific cultures, particularly oral and community-based knowledge, and the strategy aims to shift toward locally developed, culturally appropriate AI systems hosted on sovereign infrastructure.

    ict.gov.pg dig.watch

  5. Risk-Based Governance Approach

    The Draft Framework establishes that government agencies must maintain internal registers of AI systems used in public services, and higher-impact systems will face stronger review, testing, and monitoring requirements before deployment.

    ict.gov.pg pmnec.gov.pg

  6. Sovereign AI Data Centre

    PNG launched its first sovereign AI data centre in April 2026, providing the national hosting infrastructure intended to underpin AI deployment aligned with the Draft Strategy's requirement for locally controlled compute and data environments.

    news.pngfacts.com biometricupdate.com

Sources

  1. ict.gov.pg/acting-ict-minister-announce-release-of-draft-ai-adoption-framework-f
  2. ict.gov.pg/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Government_Adoption_Framework_AI_DGxDPI_AI
  3. ict.gov.pg/png-releases-draft-national-sovereign-digital-transformation-and-ai-s
  4. ict.gov.pg/dict-secretary-outlines-sovereign-ai-framework-building-a-unified-dig
  5. dig.watch/updates/papua-new-guinea-ai-data-sovereignty
  6. pmnec.gov.pg/prime-minister-marape-says-2026-will-mark-shift-to-ai-driven-governme
  7. news.pngfacts.com/2026/04/png-launches-first-sovereign-ai-data.html
  8. biometricupdate.com/202603/next-steps-in-papua-new-guineas-dpi-rollout-include-digital-id
  9. aipolicyportal.org/states/papua-new-guinea

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Orientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026