AI Forum NZ

Celebrating the Launch of Our AI in Action Report! 🚀 This week, we hosted two incredible launch events for our second AI in Action report in Auckland and Wellington. What an energizing experience connecting with so many passionate professionals shaping AI's future in Aotearoa! Key Insights That Sparked Conversation: • 82% of organizations now use AI (⬆️ 15% in just six months!) • 93% report increased worker efficiency • 72% leverage off-the-shelf AI solutions • 27.5% include Māori voices in AI design and development Balanced Perspectives on AI's Impact: Our research captures diverse viewpoints on AI adoption, including benefits and challenges. While many organisations report significant productivity gains, some respondents also expressed concerns about potential impacts on job markets and the importance of responsible implementation. Thank you to our speakers Auckland: • Tom Maasland (MinterEllisonRuddWatts) • Tim Bradley (Amazon Web Services (AWS)) • Gavin Sharkey (Kōwhai AI Ltd) • Megan Tapsell (AI Forum NZ) • Madeline Newman (AI Forum NZ) • Dan Xu, PhD (ElementX) • Steve Couper (Mott MacDonald) Wellington: • Prof. Mengjie Zhang (Victoria University of Wellington) • Tim Bradley • Peter Griffin (Journalist) • Sarah Box (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) • Ian Dougherty (Arcanum AI) • Amy Allison (Department of Internal Affairs (NZ)) • Dr Karaitiana Taiuru JP, MITP, MInstD (AI Forum NZ) And to our hosts Minter Ellison Rudd Watts in Auckland and Kiwibank in Wellington for providing such welcoming venues! Check out some snaps from the events below. Download the complete report to discover how AI is transforming productivity across New Zealand industries while highlighting the importance of responsible AI adoption, human oversight, and inclusive design. 📖 https://lnkd.in/gnc3UnDT #AIinNZ #ProductivityReport #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork

What a way to start the week - with the release of the AI Forum NZ's latest report into the impact of AI on productivity in New Zealand. Introduced by the remarkable and ever present Madeline Newman who continues to spearhead the amazing work of the AI Forum and then expertly moderated by Tim Bradley - the panel gave great insights into the findings of the report. MinterEllisonRuddWatts is proud to sponsor this report and to continue our longstanding membership and involvement in the AI Forum, which includes chairing the Working Group into preparing the AI Blueprint for Aotearoa New Zealand. Stay tuned as the AI Forum will be out and about seeking more feedback on the state of AI uptake and impact on productivity soon. - https://lnkd.in/grVDFtd8

We're proud to be at the forefront of AI-driven software development! Check out the new AI in Action report from the AI Forum NZ, where Fraxional is featured for achieving a remarkable 40-50% productivity boost by integrating AI tools into our workflows.   Our co-founders, Patricia de Villa and Ren Saguil, highlight how AI assistants like GitHub Copilot, Gemini Code Assist, and ChatGPT are enabling our team to focus on higher-level problem-solving, code quality, and innovation.   “Instead of having to add additional headcount, we leverage all these different types of AI assistants to improve our workflows and engineering practices. It has dramatically increased our productivity by 40 to 50%.” - Patricia de Villa   The report also details how we're using AI to streamline sales and administration, including drafting contracts. While emphasizing the importance of human oversight and responsible AI use, we believe that strategic investments in AI will provide us with a competitive edge in software development, data science, machine learning, and AI.   How is AI changing your industry? A big thank you to the AI Forum and partners for this insightful research! #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #SoftwareDevelopment #Productivity #Innovation #Aotearoa #NewZealand #FraxionalAI

Reading the AI Forum NZ report this morning over a coffee, and there are some powerful stats that complement what we’re finding at GrowLab Technologies: - 72% of respondents are using pre-existing AI solutions - Only 13% are using custom-built tools - Administration and Project Management are among the Top 5 functions for AI use cases In our own GrowLab survey, which focuses specifically on engineering consultancies, we’ve found: - 50% of respondents are currently using AI – mostly via off-the-shelf tools - 25% intend to adopt AI within the next 3–12 months - ~5% indicated they don’t plan to use AI at all! We’ll be sharing our industry insights (anonymously) with respondents next week. If you’d like a copy, feel free to message myself or Lachie Christie, we'd be happy to share! Also, today’s the last day to take part in the survey if you haven’t already! https://lnkd.in/gNCtv7Q8 #AI #EngineeringNZ #Productivity #Bot #EngineeringConsulting

The latest AI in Action report, with research conducted by AI Forum NZ - was launched this week after much anticipation. Our CEO, Dan Xu, PhD, spoke at the launch event panels alongside Megan Tapsell, Tim Bradley, and Gavin Sharkey, discussing the report's findings. Our highlights? - a 15% increase in organisations using AI (compared to previous report) - Impressive gains in worker efficiency, albeit with plenty of room for continued improvement across job functions - 81% of businesses report supporting AI training for their staff. The final point, especially, speaks volumes about the importance of learning to leverage generative AI tools in meaningful and useful ways that mitigate risk, and it's excellent to see that such a high percentage of respondents are taking this seriously. Many thanks to the AI forum for continuing this research - the full report is available here: https://lnkd.in/gsFGwtzH #aiadoption #aiforbusiness #newzealandai

Hanging out at the Wellington launch of the AI in Action report by AI Forum NZ. We’re not as small a community as you might think here in NZ! If you’re working on data science and AI, come chat. We have big things coming up at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research 😉 

This Monday AI Forum NZ launched 2nd report of “AI in Action in New Zealand”. A number of executives from across NZ participated in this event. Participants came from diverse backgrounds from corporates and industries including Education, Health, Researchers, Students, AI Solutions Providers, Construction, Media, Scientists etc. A great networking opportunity was provided by AI Forum to connect with variety of stakeholders who all are enthusiastic and wants to not just use AI for their work, but also passionate about bringing New Zealand on forefront of AI in the world. I was able to connect, learn from respected participants and I also shared my own thoughts and experiences with others. Some of the people who inspired me in this launch event were Madeline Newman, Dan Xu, PhD , Alexander van Wel , Claire Amos , Matt Ensor , Megan Tapsell , Tim Bradley and Joe Raeburn. It was a first hand experience to learn on AI trends, adoptions, action etc. from NZ’s most prestigious AI group AI Forum NZ. I was able to participate in this event as Founder of Astralgen. A comprehensive panel discussion was designed and presented at the event that helped answer most critical questions on AI progress in NZ’s Tech Industry. The report is an outcome from AI Experts from across New Zealand’s AI Industry and a good read at https://lnkd.in/gX-TWX7K

We're pumped to share a first look at the Techweek25 programme. From our inspiring launch event with Deloitte in Auckland, to the AI Forum NZ's AI in Creative Industries Summit spanning two cities. From TUANZ's connectivity conference in Hamilton, to our annual celebrations of excellence at the NZ Hi-Tech Awards Gala Dinner in Wellington—it's already shaping up to be an incredible week of connection, discovery and inspiration. More events are being added daily. Submit yours now! > https://lnkd.in/gBNM3PWP #Techweek2025 Courteney Peters | Laura Chamberlain | Graeme Muller | Yvonne Gill | Chelsea McDonald | NZTech | Host-tech Queenstown | Canterbury Tech | Creative HQ

Interesting session last night from AI Forum NZ where the AI in Action Report was released. My key take way from last night and holds true for a few areas is, policy is needed from government in AI adoption and guard rails. Summary of "AI in Action Report 2 – March 2025" This bi-annual report explores the impact of artificial intelligence on New Zealand's productivity. Key findings include: AI Adoption: 82% of surveyed organizations are using AI, with generative AI being the most common, marking a 15% increase from six months ago. Efficiency Gains: 93% of respondents reported that AI has improved employee efficiency. Training Initiatives: 73% of organizations offer widespread AI training to their employees. Cost Savings: 56% of businesses reported operational cost savings due to AI adoption. Top AI Use Cases: The most common applications of AI are in administration, marketing, software development, project management, and design. Industry Perspective: AI Forum NZ Executive Director Madeline Newman emphasized the importance of ongoing AI skills investment to maintain New Zealand’s global competitiveness. What’s your experience with AI in the workplace? 👇 #AI #Productivity #FutureOfWork #ArtificialIntelligence #NewZealand

Check out this analysis by Peter Griffin, AI in Action Report writer. His analysis highlights key findings from our comprehensive AI in Action report: • While transport and warehousing sectors show the highest AI uptake in our survey (nearly 100%), they represent only 3.3% of respondents • 40% of businesses report reduced hiring needs due to AI efficiencies, though only 7% report actual worker displacement • The subscription model pioneered by ChatGPT has made powerful AI accessible to businesses of all sizes, with 72% of companies using pre-existing solutions vs 13% using custom-built systems Our report reveals widespread productivity gains, with 93% of respondents saying AI has made workers more efficient and 56% reporting positive financial impact (up from 50% in our previous survey). Read the full article here > https://lnkd.in/gZj5xhrq And download our complete report to see the full picture of AI adoption across New Zealand. https://lnkd.in/gnc3UnDT #AIinNZ #ProductivityGains #DigitalTransformation Madeline Newman