New Zealand has no laws governing the use of artificial intelligence in creative and commercial work, and the copyright sector is warning the gap is leaving individuals with little recourse when their image, voice or work is used without consent. Copyright Licensing NZ chief executive Sam Irvine said the country was behind and the situation was urgent. "At the moment, they're not — but they are now talking about it, which I think is a really good step forward." He was blunt about what was needed. "We don't have any AI law and we need it now." New Zealand warned it's falling behind as calls grow for AI regulation - Watch on TVNZ+ 1News reported on Friday on models who complained clothing company Huffer had used AI-generated images of them without their permission — a claim Huffer denied. Irvine said the case illustrated a broader problem, and called for a low-cost complaints mechanism so individuals could seek redress without going to court. "It could be like a small claims tribunal — so that it's able, particularly for an individual, to take action when their work is used without their consent, without credit or any compensation." More than 100 cases involving complaints against AI companies are now before US courts, including a high-profile dispute in which Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson threatened legal action after ChatGPT used a voice she said resembled hers without permission. Marketing expert Bodo Lang said the speed of AI made the lack of rules particularly dangerous. He demonstrated by mocking up an advertisement for chewing gum using an image of the late Queen in around three minutes. "This is taking me three minutes. It would have probably taken in the old days before AI three days or three weeks." He said the lack of clear rules was