Kia ora! Welcome to New Zealand’s weekly roundup of AI news, events, jobs and education.
Two big moves last week showed how fast OpenAI is evolving from app to infrastructure.
OpenAI’s Atlas AI browser turns ChatGPT into your browser: an assistant that can automate, recall, and act across tabs.
While OpenAI’s Company Knowledge connects enterprise data so AI can finally understand context across every tool.
Together, they mark a clear step in OpenAI’s quest for dominance: not to be the smartest AI, but to own the very interface through which we think, work, and create.
In the creative space, GenAI video is getting impressive. So much so that we’re seeing the likes of Netflix double down on the technology’s advantages.
A video that caught my eye was this Pixar-style short. The quality of the shot is bang on, and seamless between scenes. Not all GenAI creative is AI-slop! Video here.
This week’s highlights:
One NZ deploys 100 AI agents
30 AI tools to replace daily work
Spark's self-healing networks go live
Wellington leads nation in AI optimism
Why reliable AI agents are still years away
Young Kiwis skip jobs, build AI businesses
Serge van Dam: four AI adoption personas
Tip: create graphics with Google AI Studio
Happy reading and listening ✌️
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HEADLINE STORY
⚠️ AI productivity gains worth $2.3B if government speeds up cloud shift
Extract from Mandala Partners report.
📣 Word On The Street: Mandala Partners report points to how faster cloud adoption could unlock $2.3B in AI productivity benefits plus $3.6B in savings by 2035.
🔎 Zooming In:
AI tools delivered 10-hour monthly time savings in a government trial last year.
The $2.3B represents a 48% productivity increase versus business-as-usual cloud adoption.
That's a 48% productivity increase compared to slow cloud adoption scenarios.
🏘️ Our Take: New Zealand's digital government ranking dropped from top 10 to 16th as cloud-first nations like Denmark, Singapore, and UK deployed AI-powered services while NZ agencies struggle with legacy systems preventing AI tool integration.
The human cost of outdated government tech is also rarely discussed. That $2.3B AI productivity figure represents people spending less time on soul-crushing repetitive work. The Copilot trial showed 78% of participants spent less mental energy on mundane tasks. That's not just productivity but significantly reducing burnout in an already stretched workforce. When AI tools save 10 hours monthly per person, that frees up skilled people to focus on important work. Better policy development. Improved citizen services. Actual innovation instead of wrestling with legacy systems.
The $2.3B productivity opportunity depends entirely on whether faster cloud adoption enables genuine AI leadership through sovereign capabilities or simply accelerates dependency on offshore platforms where NZ agencies become sophisticated users rather than developers. While cloud eliminates hardware investment barriers and specialist talent requirements, it also concentrates AI development with hyperscale providers rather than building domestic expertise in algorithmic innovation or model training. Check out my conversation with Tom Barraclough on this very topic.
💼 Business & Industry
One NZ deploys 100 AI agents, races to become "most AI-enabled on planet". CEO Jason Paris cut energy costs 20% and creates marketing campaigns 60% faster using autonomous agents. He projects five-point EBITDA margin lift from early 30s to mid-30s, claiming productivity gains impossible without agentic AI despite 50% of employee roles changing.
3-min read.
Our take: One NZ demonstrates the compelling economics behind AI transformation, converting efficiency savings directly into bigger advertising budgets and brand investment rather than job cuts. I’ve been vocal that the job loss narrative is overblown, and ultimately the decisions about whether jobs stay and go thanks to AI are the result of leadership decisions about business trajectory, not about the technology. The key takeaway for workers is that workers must constantly upskill to keep pace.
Wellington leads nation in AI optimism and accountability demands. Wellingtonians show strongest belief AI improves public services at 46% versus 31% nationally. Waikato shows lowest AI trust while Otago leads with 80% positive experiences. 77% of Waikato residents worry AI replaces human service versus 61% nationally, creating uneven market conditions for businesses deploying AI solutions across regions.
2-min read.
Our take: We're developing a two-tier AI society where your region determines your relationship with emerging technology, potentially widening existing urban-rural and north-south divides. The Waikato findings signal communities feeling left behind by technology deployment, suggesting deeper concerns about equity and inclusion that transcend AI itself.
Young Kiwi graduates are skipping job market, building AI businesses. Anthony Grant automates finance and marketing across multiple ventures using custom AI agents. Fiona Goodsite and Amelie Parker launched TutBob, an AI platform translating educational materials into First Nations languages while supporting neurodiverse learners.
3-min read.
Our take: The traditional university-to-employment pipeline is breaking down as graduates bypass corporate ladders to become immediate competitors armed with AI tools. These aren't weekend projects but scalable businesses solving real problems, with TutBob already joining EdTechNZ to navigate the market professionally, signalling a generation that views AI fluency as foundational rather than optional.
Spark deploys self-healing networks for AI-powered operations. Network Operations Director Renee Mateparae says fibre cuts now reroute automatically without technician callouts, while 5G standalone network creates bespoke connectivity for manufacturers and retailers. Air New Zealand warehouse drones on private 5G network eliminated unsafe manual stocktakes, delivering real-time accuracy and removing health risks.
3-min read.
Our take: The automation economics shift dramatically when network downtime drops to zero through self-healing infrastructure, making real-time operations viable for Kiwi businesses that previously couldn't afford reliability risks. Spark's 5G customisation approach positions New Zealand companies to compete globally by tailoring connectivity precisely to operational needs rather than accepting one-size-fits-all solutions. However, the "small country Petri dish" pitch works only if we actually scale successful local innovations internationally rather than watching overseas firms copy our experiments.
⚖️ Government & Legal
NZ government races ahead on AI adoption despite legal gaps. DOC has slashed conservation application backlogs from 1,300 to 550. ACC has scaled 40-50 AI use cases across frontline services making life-altering healthcare and income support decisions. 70% of government organisations deploy AI initiatives with Parliament select committees using it to summarise submissions and Medsafe applying it to medicine funding decisions. Simpson Grierson's Nick Chapman warns some legislation explicitly allows automated systems while others stay silent, creating unclear legal boundaries for New Zealanders challenging decisions affecting their wellbeing.
9-min listen.
Our take: The productivity numbers look impressive but the legal vacuum creates massive commercial risk for government contractors and suppliers challenging procurement decisions. Companies losing tenders worth millions will forensically examine whether AI made or influenced decisions, potentially invalidating contracts and freezing government spending. The EU's sliding scale regulatory approach shows what structured AI governance looks like, while New Zealand's patchwork permissions across different legislation creates inconsistent competitive conditions depending which ministry you're dealing with.
🔍 Education & Society
Auckland uni wins funding for IVF embryo selection AI. University of Auckland researchers secured $25,000 development grant beating space and sports gaming start-ups with AI tool analysing 50,000 embryos across five years. Current 20% transfer failure rate costs families multiple expensive IVF rounds, with AI targeting single-transfer success.
6-min listen.
Our take: The business case extends beyond fertility clinics to New Zealand's broader healthcare economics, where reducing failed IVF attempts from multiple rounds to one saves thousands per family while freeing clinical capacity. However, the HART Act forces researchers to trial offshore in Malaysia, meaning innovation developed with Kiwi funding creates commercial value elsewhere while we wait for regulatory reform to catch our own breakthroughs.
Auckland researchers warn AI city planning risks unfair development decisions. University of Auckland study surveyed planners across Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Christchurch finding professionals welcome efficiency gains but fear bias in decisions about housing locations, transport design and neighbourhood upgrades. Researchers warn AI could inadvertently favour certain demographics while creating inequitable infrastructure investment patterns.
2-min read.
Our take: The commercial implications cut both ways, developers and property investors face unpredictable AI-driven zoning and infrastructure decisions that could dramatically shift land values without transparent reasoning. Urban planning AI that concentrates investment in already-advantaged areas creates self-reinforcing inequality loops that damage long-term economic resilience. The efficiency promise sounds appealing until your suburb gets algorithmically deprioritised for upgrades based on opaque data patterns, making the case for regulated AI governance frameworks before deployment rather than fixing problems after communities suffer consequences.
📚️ AI for Business
Helping leaders and teams adapt, learn, and scale with AI.
1️⃣ Shipping AI Beats Strategy Decks: NZ talks about AI whilst the US and UK shipped it two years ago. Read on for how to approach AI differently to deliver progress not theory.
1-min read.
2️⃣ 30 AI Tools To Replace Daily Work: Teams moving 10x faster aren't using every tool, they're trying one new tool daily until AI becomes reflexive.
1-min scroll with links.
3️⃣ Three Major AI Releases Reshaping AI Toolkits: OpenAI's Atlas browser, Google's no-code AI Studio, and Anthropic's web-based Claude Code are ecosystem shifts changing how we delegate, build, and code.
1-min read.
4️⃣ Why the co-founder of OpenAI, Andrej Karpathy, Says Reliable AI Agents Are Still Years Away: The two phases each business should plan for through and the hurdles to overcome.
1-min read.
🎙️ The AI Corner Podcast
This week's guest is Serge van Dam, Wellington-based tech investor and board director. Hear:
Serge’s four AI adoption personas.
How two hours weekly built genuine AI mastery.
Why New Zealand's small market is actually an advantage.
🌍 Tech Updates From Global
The selected top headlines from each major AI tech company.
OpenAI
Atlas browser's memory feature enables ChatGPT to recall context from visited sites, giving more relevant answers and aiding project continuity.
Launched Company Knowledge feature for ChatGPT Enterprise consolidating information across applications for better user support.
Paused Sora's ability to generate videos using Martin Luther King Jr.'s likeness following his estate's request to prevent misuse.
Partnered with Hollywood groups to enhance safeguards in Sora 2 against unauthorised generation of voice and likeness.
Allowed public figures and copyright holders to opt out of having their likeness used on its platform.
Acquired Software Applications (Sky), a Mac automation startup, to integrate AI functionality more deeply into operating systems.
Denied that AI features are responsible for Wikipedia's 8% decline in pageviews attributed to AI-driven search summaries.
Implemented major updates to AI Studio enhancing controls for developers to fine-tune model behaviour more precisely.
Integrated Gemini AI into Maps, providing developers with direct access to real-world location data for enhanced interactivity.
Confirmed the arrival of Gemini 3.0, a multimodal agent integrating voice, text, and images with improved interfaces.
Anthropic
Launched Claude Code to the browser in research preview, allowing developers to code directly from their browsers.
Expanded partnership with Google securing access to up to 1 million TPU chips to enhance Claude model training capacity by 2026.
Rolled out Claude's memory feature to Max users allowing the assistant to remember previous conversations for personalised interactions.
Microsoft
Released near-identical AI browser update as OpenAI’s Atlas for Edge called Copilot Mode that reads tabs, summarises information, and performs actions.
Launched Copilot Groups feature allowing real-time collaboration with up to 32 people across AI tasks.
Meta
Secured $30 billion financing deal from Blue Owl to build extensive Hyperion AI datacentre in Louisiana, significantly enhancing AI infrastructure.
Announced plans for new parental controls in 2026 to restrict teen interactions with AI characters on Instagram.
Implemented opt-in feature for Facebook and Instagram allowing users to enable AI tools to see and edit personal photos.
Eliminated approximately 600 positions across its AI division, with FAIR research arm impacted but superintelligence group TBD Lab left intact.
Amazon
Introduced consumer-focused AI tool 'Help Me Decide' which recommends products to shoppers, signalling entry into competitive consumer AI market.
💡 Tip of the Week: Google AI Studio creates on-brand slide graphics in 60 seconds
If you're building slide decks, stop hunting for graphics. Custom micro-apps turn Google AI Studio into your on-brand design team that delivers consistent visuals in seconds.
Why it matters
Scrolling stock sites wastes hours. A micro-app generates matching sets instantly.
You control style, tone, and brand consistency across every visual.
It scales: build once, use forever: dashboards, travel trackers, image editors, whatever you need.
How to use it
Open Google AI Studio → create a new app using a single prompt. Example app features:
Set your master style: colours, lighting, tone, and aesthetic in one prompt.
Upload reference images for brand consistency.
List 10 specific visuals you need (frameworks, concepts, slide topics).
Hit generate: Nano Banana creates a matching set in seconds.
Think of micro-apps as personal tools. The best ones solve one specific problem, inherit your style rules, and eliminate repetitive work forever.
📅 AI Events in New Zealand
Short week = short line-up. 13 AI events across the country this week.
This week’s featured event:
Head along to explore AI and machine learning applications for home automation at Newmarket's Gilli Café.
📅 Promote your event with us. Reply to let us know.
💼 AI Roles Around Aotearoa
Picklist of 🌶️ HOT 🌶️ new roles in AI this week.
AI Ops Engineer, One New Zealand: Christchurch
💼 Promote your job with us. Reply to let us know.
🤦 ️ AI Fail Of The Week
We all love AI, but it’s certainly far from perfect 🤔 …
No words.
👋 Mike & Erin