Accenture New Zealand's Health Lead, Dr Will Reedy, is warning that fragmented data remains one of the biggest barriers to effective care.
He says hospital teams are still spending too much time piecing together test results, notes and diagnostics from disconnected systems - which is time that could be spent with patients.
Speaking exclusively to TechDay, Reedy says AI's greatest opportunity lies in connecting those systems.
"If technology can bring that information together intelligently, it changes the experience for patients, whānau and communities," he said.
Accenture's collaboration with Te Whatu Ora on the national data platform is one example, designed to combine core health datasets so clinicians can make faster, evidence-based decisions.
Reedy says the current phase of AI adoption is about "fixing the plumbing" - ensuring data flows securely, meets privacy requirements and aligns with Māori data-governance principles before advanced AI models are rolled out nationally.
Clinical integration
Reedy says AI's role in healthcare is to enable clinicians, not replace them.
He points to live examples already changing the clinical front line: AI scribes removing paperwork, triage systems prioritising patients, and predictive tools identifying pressure points before they occur.
"The hardest part isn't the code - it's the people, processes and policy that determine adoption," he said. "If clinicians don't trust the tools, they won't use them."
He expects diagnostics to be the first area transformed, particularly in imaging and genomics where AI can detect subtle patterns faster than humans. But he says areas grounded in empathy, such as palliative care and mental health, will always rely on human judgment.
"When people are at their most vulnerable, technology can support but never substitute empathy," he said.
Reedy believes New Zealand's position as one of the least digitised health systems in the developed world is now an advantage. "We can leapfrog older systems and build AI into the foundations, not bolt it on later," he said.
What is Dr Will Reedy's strategic forecast?
Reedy says three priorities now define the next phase of AI in healthcare: diagnostics and genomics, workflow enablement, and clinical evidence. Each, he says, must prove measurable value to patients and clinicians alike.
"Just because we can use data doesn't always mean we should," he said. "Patients aren't data points - they're people with context and dignity."
Reedy predicts the health sector's experience with ethics and safety will soon shape how other industries - including education, finance and energy - deploy AI responsibly.
He says the next two years will be critical for New Zealand. "The technology is ready," Reedy said. "Now the question is whether the system is. We need leadership, regulation and trust to move at the same pace as innovation - because that's what will define the next generation of healthcare."
