How CertMate AI works & what to expect
CertMate AI is an optional add-on that helps electricians complete paperwork faster. This page explains exactly what it does, what it cannot do, how your data is handled, and what you remain responsible for as the certificate holder.
1. What CertMate AI does
CertMate AI is a time-saving tool. It reduces the time spent on data entry and admin, not the time spent doing the actual electrical work or making compliance decisions. It currently provides six features:
Voice to description
Speak a job description on site. AI writes it up as a clean, professional description for the certificate.
Photo scan
Photo of a completed handwritten test sheet. AI reads every row and pre-fills the digital form for you to review, including Emergency Lighting PS3 test records.
Blank template
Download a printable A4 test sheet matching CertMate's format. Fill in by hand on site, then scan later.
In-app help chat
Ask questions about how CertMate works from anywhere in the app. Instant answers drawn from the CertMate knowledge base, available to all users.
NZ Regs Helper
Ask a regulation question in plain English, from anywhere in the app, and get pointed to the relevant clause or section to check.
Company Insight Reports
AI-written summaries of your team's certificate and test sheet output and trends, so nobody has to dig through the numbers by hand.
2. What CertMate AI can and cannot do
✓ Can do
- ✓ Read legible handwritten numbers from a clear photo
- ✓ Identify test types (circuit, RCD, earth, mains) from layout
- ✓ Pre-fill digital form fields from a photo
- ✓ Transcribe spoken descriptions into professional text
- ✓ Leave fields blank when a value is unclear, rather than guessing
- ✓ Process an entire A4 page of tests in a single scan
- ✓ Recognise Emergency Lighting PS3 test record layout and fields
- ✓ Point you to the relevant AS/NZS 3000 clause or regulation section, when it appears in CertMate's own compliance documentation
- ✓ Summarise your team's certificate and test sheet activity into a plain-English report
✗ Cannot do
- ✗ Make any electrical safety judgement
- ✗ Verify that test results meet NZ standards
- ✗ Guarantee 100% accuracy on extracted values
- ✗ Read smudged, blurry, or poorly lit handwriting
- ✗ Detect errors or unsafe readings in a test sheet
- ✗ Replace a site inspection or professional expertise
- ✗ Sign or certify any document on your behalf
- ✗ Supply a clause number it hasn't been given in its documentation, or recall one from general training knowledge
- ✗ Give legal advice or perform design calculations (load calculations, cable sizing)
- ✗ Make staffing, performance, or business decisions on your behalf
3. Your responsibility
You remain fully responsible for the accuracy of every certificate you issue. CertMate AI is a data-entry aid, not an authority. All values extracted from a photo must be reviewed by you before saving. The review step is built into the process specifically for this purpose and cannot be skipped.
- → Check every extracted value against the original handwritten sheet before applying.
- → If a field is flagged ⚠ unclear, enter the correct value manually.
- → Do not rely on an AI-extracted value you have not visually confirmed.
- → The electrician who signs a certificate is solely responsible for its contents, regardless of whether AI assisted data entry.
- → CertMate and its AI features do not constitute professional electrical advice.
All electrical certification must comply with the New Zealand Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and applicable standards (AS/NZS 3000, etc.). CertMate is a software tool. Compliance is your responsibility.
4. Tips for the best results
Lay flat
Place the sheet on a flat surface. Avoid angled or curled edges, as distortion affects accuracy.
Good lighting
Even, diffuse light works best. Avoid shadows across columns and glare from overhead lights or windows.
All columns in frame
Make sure the full width of the sheet is visible. Cropping any columns will result in missing values.
Write clearly
The cleaner the handwriting, the higher the extraction accuracy. Numbers not running together work best.
Portrait or landscape
Either orientation works. iPhone HEIC, Android JPG, and PNG are all accepted.
One page per scan
Scan one page at a time. Each scan reads all rows on that page and adds them to the sheet.
5. Data & privacy
When you use CertMate AI, your photo, audio, question, or activity data is sent securely to OpenAI for processing. Here is how data flows:
| What | Where it goes | How long kept |
|---|---|---|
| Test sheet photo | OpenAI API (GPT-5.4) | Not retained by CertMate after processing. OpenAI's API policy applies (typically 30 days for abuse monitoring; not used to train models). |
| Voice recording | OpenAI API (gpt-4o-transcribe) | Not retained by CertMate after processing. Same OpenAI API policy applies. |
| Extracted test values | Saved to your CertMate account | Retained as part of your test sheet record for as long as your account is active. |
| Regs Helper question | OpenAI API (gpt-5.4-mini) | Your question is not retained by OpenAI beyond its standard API policy. The question and answer are saved to your account as a conversation so you can pick it back up, and are not shared with third parties. |
| Company Insight report data | OpenAI API (gpt-5.4-mini) | Aggregated activity counts plus short work-description excerpts from your recent certificates (no customer or site details). Not retained by OpenAI beyond standard API policy. The generated report is saved to your account. |
| AI usage logs | CertMate database | We log which AI features were used (type, timestamp, token count) for billing and abuse monitoring. No content is stored in these logs. |
| Support chat messages | CertMate database | Retained as part of your account for as long as your account is active. Used to improve suggested starter questions and to monitor for issues. Chat content is not shared with third parties. |
OpenAI's API data usage policy explicitly states that data submitted via the API is not used to train OpenAI models. See openai.com/enterprise-privacy for details.
CertMate does not sell, share, or use your electrical test data for any purpose other than providing the service to you.
6. Accuracy & limitations
- •Handwriting recognition is not perfect. Accuracy depends on photo quality, lighting, handwriting legibility, and the completeness of the visible sheet. Always review extracted values.
- •Unclear values return null. The AI is instructed to leave a field blank rather than guess. A field marked "not detected" means the value could not be confidently read, not that the field is empty on the sheet.
- •Non-standard sheets. CertMate AI is optimised for the standard NZ electrical test sheet layout. Heavily modified, aged, or non-standard sheets may produce lower accuracy.
- •Model updates. We may update the AI model used at any time to improve accuracy or performance. The core extraction behaviour and safety guardrails will be maintained.
- •No offline mode. CertMate AI requires an internet connection. If the AI service is unavailable, you can still enter test values manually.
- •NZ Regs Helper only answers from its own documentation. It will not supply an AS/NZS 3000 clause number from general knowledge. If a topic isn't covered in CertMate's compliance documentation, it will tell you rather than guess.
- •Company Insight Reports depend on your own data. The quality of the summary reflects how complete and consistent your team's certificate and test sheet entries are.
7. Frequently asked questions
Is CertMate AI going to replace electricians?
No. CertMate AI handles data entry, not electrical work. The knowledge, on-site judgement, testing, and professional responsibility all remain with you.
What if the AI gets a value wrong?
That is why we built the review step. Every extracted value is shown to you before it is saved, so you can catch and correct errors. If you apply a wrong value without checking it, the responsibility lies with the certificate holder, the same as if you had entered the wrong value manually.
Does CertMate AI send my data overseas?
Yes. Photos and audio are processed by OpenAI, a US-based company. OpenAI operates under standard data processing agreements and is widely used by enterprise software worldwide. If this is a concern for your organisation, you can use CertMate without the AI add-on.
Is the NZ Regs Helper's answer legally binding?
No. It is guidance only, not a substitute for your own professional judgement. Every substantive answer ends with a reminder to verify against the current legislation at legislation.govt.nz and worksafe.govt.nz, or your own copy of AS/NZS 3000, before making a compliance decision.
What data does a Company Insight Report use?
Aggregated counts of your team's certificates and test sheets, plus short excerpts of work descriptions (no customer names or site addresses). It never includes data from other CertMate organisations.
Is the AI add-on required?
No. The AI features are entirely optional. CertMate's core functionality (certificate generation, test sheets, staff management) works fully without AI. During the free trial, AI is included so you can evaluate it before deciding.
Who should I contact with a concern about AI?
Email us at hello@certmate.co.nz. We take feedback about AI accuracy and data handling seriously.
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