Is AI the Silver Bullet to NZ's Productivity Hurdles?

📰 What’s Happening in our Corner of the World

• NZ data centre boom to hit $20B, with new facilities live in ‘25. Backed by 85% renewable energy, positions NZ as key AI APAC hub. (10-min read).

• New AI adoption framework for the public service. Agencies (inc. ACC) trialling AI for non-public facing work. (2-min read).

• AI is reshaping NZ's architecture scene. Brad Sara unpacks the AI rollout out at lead architecture firm Warren and Mahoney. (24-min audio).

• Gen AI: NZ's Productivity Silver Bullet. Former EMA chief Brett O'Riley sees AI as key to transforming NZ to tech powerhouse. (4-min read).

• CyberCX warns Kiwis about DeepSeek’s AI data collection practices. Urges AI access review to reduce risk of exposing information. (4-min read).

• MBIE calls for AI research proposals, launching $12M healthy ageing initiative with Singapore. Proposals close 17 March, 5pm. (8-min read).

🦘 From Across the Ditch

• Medtech: ‘Medow Health’ raises $2M, NZ expansion next. (2-min read)

• What DeepSeek’s rise could mean for Australian AI. (5-min read)

• Bank AI tool cuts cloud reviews from hours to minutes. (4-min read)

• Frannie AI powers 1.3M franchise locations over Aus. (5-min read)

• Qsic raises $40M for AI-powered retail audio ad platform. (4-min read)

🌍 The News from Global

• Skip mainstream media noise—Trung Phan’s DeepSeek breakdown is worth 40-min of your time.

• OpenAI released GPT-o3 (more efficient reasoning capabilities) and Operator (autonomous AI Agents) in the space of two weeks.

• 10 things you should know about the EU AI Act and provisions (AI Literacy & Prohibited AI) being enforced today to regulate AI Governance.

🔦 Kiwi AI in the Spotlight

AI Traps to Fast-Track a Predator-Free 2050 – But More Funding Required.

• AI is scaling pest eradication, helping to reach remote areas while cutting costs. Smart traps reset automatically and use camera detection technology to ensure only pests trigger them, keeping native species safe.

• Whakatāne-based NZ Auto Traps is leading the way, protecting wildlife at home and abroad. Their traps shut off during the day to avoid harming birds, but with nocturnal species like kākā and kea active at night, AI-powered detection ensures only pests trigger the trap. This homegrown tech is now being exported, helping countries like Hawaii, Mauritius, and Guam tackle their own pest problems.

• NZ leads the world in AI pest control, but R&D funding is running dry. The next wave of advancements may rely on global investment and overseas sales to keep momentum going back home.

Full article and 3-min audio report.

💼  AI Roles around Aotearoa

Our picklist of 🌶️ HOT🌶️ roles in AI, to support the growing industry.

• Lead Product Manager - AI - Xero, remote

• Data and AI Product Manager - TVNZ, Auckland

• Head of AI Driven Marketing - Global - Straker, Auckland (new role!)

• AI Architect - Aware Group, Wellington & Hamilton

• AI Engineer/Full Stack Dev - Morningside AI, (multiple roles), Auckland

• Machine Learning Engineer (Grad Role) - StayinFront, Auckland

• AI Automation Engineer - Universal Communications Group, Auckland

• Clinical Lead - ThroughLine, Auckland (AI opportunity for a psychologist!)

• Director of Enterprise Sales - Typeface, Christchurch

📅 AI Events

• AI and Sign Language Webinar, Online - February 3: Deaf Aotearoa brings to you Dr. Mark Wheatley, former CEO of Royal Association for Deaf people, who explores AI translation projects between BSL and English.

• Wellington AI Safety Meetup, Te Aro - February 5: Monthly gathering at St John's Bar explores preventing AI risks and building safer systems – free entry, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM.

• Creating Generative AI chatbots - HeyGen, Invercargill - February 13: Hands-on workshop at 25 on Don teaches custom avatar creation, script writing, and video generation, with expert Ben Walker from AI New Zealand leading a small group of 20 – tickets from $190+gst for members.

• Multicore World, Christchurch - February 17-21: Aotearoa's five-day tech summit connects our corner with distinguished speakers from home, US, UK, Europe and beyond – tickets from $550.

• AI in Accounting Summit, Auckland - February 20: YouTuber Jason Staats joins Xero and Karbon leaders for the first-ever AI accounting conference, featuring global experts and local innovators – early bird tickets just $129.

• The Future of No Work, Auckland - February 26: Burger King's AI pioneer Stephen Brown joins European automation expert Filip Drimalka at Grid Auckland to share real-world AI workplace transformation strategies – tickets from $51.75, starts 5:00pm.

🤝 Need a Hand getting started with AI?

From ChatGPT and low-code tools, to custom automation workflows, we help Kiwi businesses get started with AI systems. No massive budgets or tech teams needed - just smart tools and solid prompts.

📞 Book a call - Let’s chat!
📜 Please fill in this survey before we chat.

📚️ Levelling up with AI—Three Pointers

😇 Beginner: “I’ve heard of ChatGPT.”

Not having AI in your business workflow today is like ignoring email in the 90s – you're missing out on a massive productivity gains that others are already using.

Think of AI tools as your digital team members: they can handle everything from turning meetings into action plans (Supernormal) to writing customer emails (Claude), letting you focus on strategic work to grow your business.

👉 Check out the essential Minimum Viable AI Stack we recommend to all business owners.

🤓 Intermediate: “ClaudeAI & ChatGPT run a lot of my workflow.”

The next level up from ChatGPT? Its more capable cousin: Agentic AI, the next big shift in business automation. Think of it as upgrading from a single smart helper to an entire digital dream team.

Unlike ChatGPT's one-way chat, Agentic AI runs multiple AI specialists that tackle problems together, like a team of customer service reps where one AI reads your issue, another finds the fix, and a third handles the response – cutting support times from weeks to minutes.

🔍 AI Gender Gap: What's Up With That? Only 15% of ChatGPT users are women, with McKinsey showing females face higher job automation risks. Getting more diverse voices in AI is critical for building AI systems that work for all Kiwis. Time to step up our game in making AI more accessible across gender lines.

Takeaway: Local tech leaders and educators need to bridge this divide through training, mentorship, and highlighting successful women in AI roles.

🤦‍♂️ AI Fail of the Week

We all love AI, but, we all know it’s far from perfect…

📌 To-Dos

📝 Want a Tutorial? Got an AI use case you're curious about? Drop us a line - whether it's fine-tuning LLMs or building your first chatbot. We'll create and share with the community a free step-by-step guide that actually makes sense.

👋 We want your Feedback! How'd we do today?

🤖 🤖 🤖 🤖 🤖 Nailed it!
🤖 🤖 🤖 C's get degrees, right?
🤖 Back to the drawing board, pal...