Deloitte Report in Wellington: Mayor Says Large Portions Were Created Using AI

The Deloitte report in Wellington has come under further criticism after Mayor Andrew Little said that “large portions” of the document were written using artificial intelligence. The claim was made on September 2 in an interview with Newstalk ZB and concerns the Future Fit Pōneke material on staffing levels at Wellington City Council.

The city paid approximately 435,000 New Zealand dollars for the report. The document originally stated that the city council had 330 redundant positions. Council materials cited later, however, challenged its underlying assumptions. According to them, the report was based, among other things, on outdated data, and some positions were counted twice.

The Deloitte report in Wellington and the mayor’s claim

In the radio interview, Little said that a significant portion of the report was created with the help of AI. He also criticized the use of three-year-old data. This is a publicly recorded statement by the mayor, not an independent technical review of the document’s content or Deloitte’s working procedures.

It therefore has not been established which specific passages were created by generative AI, what share of the report it concerned, or which tool the company used. It is likewise not confirmed that the use of AI caused the identified factual or methodological errors.

According to a statement reported by the media, Deloitte uses AI-enabled tools where appropriate. At the same time, it says that the report’s analyses and conclusions underwent human approval. This position does not directly specify the extent of AI use in the work for Wellington City Council.

Errors concern both data and position counts

The dispute is not only about the possible role of artificial intelligence. The Future Fit Pōneke report had already been challenged before Little’s statement because of the assumptions used. According to materials from the council cited later, some data was outdated and jobs were double-counted in the totals.

The original estimate of 330 redundant positions is an important part of the case in light of these objections. However, the available information does not show a complete independent assessment of the report’s methodology or a final conclusion on which errors Deloitte acknowledged and to what extent they affected the results.

What could happen next

According to the available information, Wellington City Council has not yet received confirmed reimbursement or another remedy from Deloitte. It remains an open question whether the city will take contractual or financial action against the consulting firm.

For further clarification of the case, it will be important to learn whether Deloitte discloses the rules and extent of AI use in this work. The council could also publish the complete supporting materials, methodology, and any independent assessment of the report. Only such information would make it possible to separate the question of AI use from the already reported problems with data and calculations.

The case concerns a report worth approximately 435,000 New Zealand dollars and a document whose assumptions were subsequently challenged because of data and methodological errors. The mayor’s publicly stated allegation therefore increases the importance of a transparent explanation of the methodology, control steps, and use of AI-enabled tools in preparing the report.

Verified and updated: 02. 09. 2026 12:02