The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence
A curated Kiwi edition of TechDay news, analysis, interviews, reviews, job moves, and related resources for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
What to know about Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries, reshaping business operations, enhancing customer experiences, and driving innovation across sectors globally and in Australasia. From the surge in AI-driven cybersecurity threats and the adoption of AI in cloud infrastructure to the integration of generative AI in customer service, marketing, and financial sectors, this dynamic field demands close attention.
Experts emphasise the critical role of robust data management and infrastructure in successfully leveraging AI technologies, while organisations face challenges including skill gaps, ethical considerations, and regulatory developments. As AI adoption accelerates, businesses must balance innovation with security, sustainability, and human-centric strategies to thrive in this evolving landscape.
Readers exploring this tag will gain insights into the latest AI trends, practical applications, organisational strategies, technological advancements, and the collaborative efforts shaping the future of AI. Understanding these developments is essential for anyone interested in the impact of artificial intelligence on business, technology, and society.
Kiwi Artificial Intelligence News
Regional stories with direct local relevance
Beyond automation: Why AI is forcing us to rethink how work gets done
Businesses that treat AI as a mere efficiency tool risk missing bigger gains from redesigning workflows, according to One NZ's Chief Executive Officer.
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Tax Traders appoints Chloe Kyrke-Smith as Head of Product
The hire signals a push beyond tax pooling as the fintech widens its product suite for accountants and small businesses.
Vero Insurance teams with The Optimisers on AI search
The insurer wants clearer online content to stay visible as customers increasingly rely on AI tools for comparisons and recommendations.
'Use AI in ways you can clearly explain': key tips on maintaining trust with AI use
Public trust in AI depends on clear policies, mandatory staff training and plain-language explanations of how systems use people's data.
Dentsu Aotearoa launches technology practice with Knox
The new unit aims to help New Zealand clients adopt AI and emerging tools more directly across media, production and customer experience.
Payments NZ chief calls for stronger interoperability
New Zealand's payments system could face disruption unless banks and providers agree common standards, Steve Wiggins said.
Analyst Insights
Research and market analysis connected to Artificial Intelligence
Gartner forecasts AI spending to hit USD $64bn in 2026
Google named Gartner conversational AI leader again
IDeaS named leader in IDC hospitality revenue study
Deepfake fraud attacks rise 180% as identity checks fail
Atlassian adds Jira tools for AI-native software teams
Featured News
SonicWall boosts endpoint security for SMBs and mid-market
SMBs and mid-market firms facing AI-driven attacks are set for tighter device controls as SonicWall prepares a new endpoint security product.
Resilience over prevention as AI reshapes security landscape
Rising ransomware speed is pushing ANZ firms to increase spending on recovery strategies as AI gives attackers new ways in.
Check Point: Be the best, or get out the way
Rising AI-driven attacks are compel security buyers to cut vendor sprawl, though Check Point warns over-consolidation can still raise risk.
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Check Point: Hackers are already in. Act accordingly
Hackers are exploiting vulnerabilities in hours or minutes, leaving many organisations compromised before defenders spot the breach.
Future of enterprise software is agentic apps, says Oracle
Oracle is targeting a common blocker to AI adoption by adding governance, human checks and audit trails to its agentic app builder.
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OnBoard says board AI policy key, but lags behind in adoption
Most boards are using AI, but formal guidelines are still missing as adoption races ahead of governance, OnBoard's survey found.
John Margerison on the new class of employee: AI managers
Businesses should treat AI like a new hire, as weak oversight could expose sensitive data and leave staff needing fresh skills to stay relevant.
Archaic payment processes costing SMEs time and money
Australian SMEs are missing working capital gains as manual invoicing and EFTs leave payments slower and less secure.
SiteHive gains traction with unblinking eyes on the job
Construction firms can now monitor dust, noise and weather remotely, helping avoid delays and environmental breaches across hundreds of sites.
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CorPlan launches CoreEPM: Rapid return AI-powered Business Intelligence
By replacing spreadsheets and manual finance work, the new platform aims to cut months-long implementation times and free staff for higher-value tasks.
AI reshaping cybersecurity - on defence and attack
Criminals are using AI to scale phishing and hunt flaws faster, forcing firms to harden defences as alert volumes and risks rise.
TCL pivots to premium TV offering with Bang & Olufsen collab
TCL's new range features brighter flagship TVs, with certified high-end sound and Gemini features, targeting Sony and Samsung's premium turf.
Reducing cyber risk is still hard: Why CTEM stalls at action
Security teams are still struggling to turn vulnerability alerts into fixes, leaving companies exposed for months when IT and operations must act separately.
Marketers turn to AI as personalisation revolution arrives
Australian marketers are turning to agentic AI to keep pace with fragmented customer journeys and rising demand for personalised content.
Quantum computers aren't here yet. But the data threat is
Hackers are already hoarding encrypted data, as businesses race to adopt quantum-safe protection before Q-Day arrives.
Don't lose the human connection in AI-supported recruitment
Human judgement is becoming more valuable as AI screens CVs, with candidates wary of being reduced to data points and overlooked for potential.
Exclusive: Virtuozzo sees GPU clouds reshape AI infrastructure
AI demand is pushing cloud providers towards GPU-as-a-service models, with efficiency and utilisation emerging as key differentiators.
UiPath assisting One NZ on journey to become AI leaders
Strict controls are now central to One NZ's AI push as it guards customer data and avoids costly errors in billing and finance.
'Lack of support' as Australia lags behind on blockchain
Years of regulatory delay risk leaving Australia behind as tokenised assets and digital investment platforms gather pace.
Data storage gets profitable as Exaba targets US expansion
Exaba's local cloud storage pitch could give US managed services providers higher margins as it challenges AWS and Azure in a crowded market.
Defence Australia puts data at core of national security
Sovereign AI is becoming vital to mission readiness as Defence Australia builds a connected data ecosystem for faster decisions.
Banks face AI balancing act as regulation tempers uptake
Australia's banks are steadily increasing their use of artificial intelligence, but regulation and data security fears are tempering adoption.
Data-driven transport: The future is here
Australia's truck driver shortage is set to triple by 2029, pushing fleets towards data tools that could make autonomy viable.
How the 'human hour' mentality influences the future of tech
AI pilots are faltering where firms still judge success by hours saved, leaving customer value and workforce design unresolved.
Tech reinvent as Hejaz teases 'Wahda' superapp launch
Weeks before a planned August debut, the app aims to entice more than 2 billion Muslims with chat, video and faith-based AI tools.
'Strong partnership': Canva, OpenAI team up for hackathon
Hundreds of admin hours are draining staff time from lifesaving, research and STEM work at Australian nonprofits.
Trane Technologies drives huge energy and cost saving
Data-centre operators face rising power bills as Trane's HFO shift and liquid-cooling push cut emissions and HVAC costs.
Samsung AI push focuses on proactivity, personalisation
Devices that anticipate routines could cut friction for New Zealand users as Samsung extends hyper-personalised AI across phones, wearables and the home.
Hype growing - but SMEs still face barriers to AI adoption
Small firms risk falling behind unless they adopt AI for practical gains, as SMEC AI says many are still confused by the technology.
'Smart people changing': How humans and agentic AI co-exist
Governance fears and skills gaps are pushing businesses to deploy agentic AI in secure systems while protecting staff from disruption.
Exabeam: Ruthless efficiency can make agentic AI malicious
Behavioural analytics is becoming essential as AI agents can pursue tasks so efficiently that they may cause damage without any malicious intent.
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Digidentity helping companies navigate AI fraud challenges
AI-driven fraud is pushing healthcare, government and carmakers to tighten identity checks as remote transactions spread worldwide.
New Zealand 'ingenuity' driving Lightspeed's global success
Auckland's engineers are shaping Lightspeed's products worldwide, as the company expands AI tools and keeps key leadership in New Zealand.
Companies wildly unprepared for new era of security threats
Many firms are exposing sensitive data as shadow AI and weak controls leave them open to breaches, hallucinations and unauthorised access.
No blind spots: Reolink unveils dynamic, AI-powered range
The new OMVI range could cut costs for homes and businesses by replacing multi-camera setups with one device that tracks subjects in 360 degrees.
Visibility can shield you against $15k/min downtime
Blind spots in monitoring are pushing outage bills higher, with Splunk estimating average downtime now costs USD $15,000 a minute.
How Invetech and McGrathNicol modernised with SAP S/4 HANA
The move has cut month-end work and lifted invoice processing, while avoiding costly customisation and easing future upgrades.
Marvell targets AI connectivity bottleneck with NVIDIA boost
AI data centres are hitting copper limits, pushing Marvell and Nvidia towards optics as clusters grow larger and more distributed.
Workday GO offers growth potential for mid-sized enterprises
Australian and New Zealand mid-sized firms will gain faster deployments and real-time people, payroll and finance insights from Workday GO.
Clean Core and governed AI enable SAP success
Australian firms can avoid costly upgrade pain and AI risks by pairing Clean Core with governed data and trusted partners.
Check Point Technologies: On vigilance, Mythos and beyond
AI-driven vulnerability scanning is forcing firms to rethink complacency as Check Point says existing defences still help against Mythos.
Dext: Transformative AI made easy for accountants and bookkeepers
Accountants could cut errors and save time as Dext AI Assist brings prompt-based automation to bookkeeping workflows.
Earn the commute: Premium offices turn mandates into magnetism
Well-designed offices are helping firms attract staff back by pairing prime locations, amenities and flexible spaces with higher productivity.
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'Didn't believe it': Dayforce optimising people management
Payroll headaches eased at Retail Apparel Group as Dayforce linked time and attendance with pay, cutting manual fixes and boosting morale.
Riverbed says go from ticket queues to zero disruption
AI-driven support tools could cut employee downtime, as Riverbed argues that fewer tickets may still hide unresolved problems.
Samsung launches interactive, connected 2026 TV range
Kiwi football fans will get stadium-style sound and smarter home control as the new line-up adds AI Football Mode Pro and Vision AI.
The AI challenge - balancing governance and innovation
Many projects remain stuck at proof of concept as businesses wrestle with data governance, security and agent oversight before scaling AI.
Dell numbers the days for hyperconverged infrastructure
Rising hypervisor costs and AI demand are pushing customers towards disaggregated systems, as Dell says HCI is becoming too expensive and inflexible.
Catchpoint acquisition by LogicMonitor 'makes a lot of sense'
The deal could help customers move from reactive IT monitoring to predictive AI-driven automation by combining two different data sets.
Guidewire: Modernising insurance with accountability
Regulators are warning insurers to keep humans accountable as AI speeds up claims work and other busy tasks, Guidewire says.
Deputy are shaping future of shift work administration
Managers in retail, hospitality and healthcare could save hours as the AI tool automates rosters and timesheets while flagging breaches.
HPE assisting IT teams navigate complex challenges
HPE Networking says AI, zero trust and SASE are reshaping network security as remote work and connected devices make threats harder to control.
Cloudera hackathon highlights enterprise AI data challenges
Only seven per cent of organisations are data ready, raising doubts over whether enterprise AI can move from prototypes to production.
From airlines to packaging: How Gurobi optimises workflows
Gurobi clients are experiencing significant, compounding benefits from the utilisation of effective optimisation.
TeamViewer utilising AI to cut costly digital friction
A survey of 4,000 workers found digital friction is fuelling burnout, tears and staff turnover as TeamViewer automates routine IT tasks.
Vanyar primed for success with Uriah Jacobs at the helm
A shortage of skilled partners is slowing wider adoption of Palantir Foundry and AIP, creating an opening for Vanyar in the commercial market.
Upwind Expands to Sydney: Real Time Cloud Security for APJ
The Sydney move follows a USD $250 million funding round as the cloud security firm bets on real-time protection for fast-growing AI workloads.
AI agents multiply risk, says DigiCert chief product officer
Many firms cannot see where their AI agents are, leaving identity, policy and supply-chain risks to grow as deployments scale.
Sage Intacct builds explainable AI into accounting
Accountants facing staff shortages may gain faster workflows, as Sage Intacct’s new agent exposes its calculations, sources and audit trail.
'Self-learning' AI big boon for Qualtrics' CX
Companies using AI for customer experience are cutting churn and lifting revenue, with Qualtrics saying richer feedback can triple insights.
Sage branding itself on trust in AI world of 'big voices'
Trust is emerging as a selling point for finance software as Sage warns that opaque AI can leave CFOs answerable for costly errors.
Exclusive: Denodo's Dominic Sartorio on perfect data vs the right data
Trust in enterprise AI is being undermined as Denodo research finds most firms still lack live, context-aware data for production use.
Google flags urgency as AI reshapes cyber threats
Patching delays now carry greater risk as Google says AI is helping attackers scale intrusions, speed up breaches and automate operations.
Exclusive: Google Cloud reshaping finance with agentic AI
Banks must move beyond isolated pilots if they want agentic AI to deliver enterprise-wide gains, Google Cloud says.
Exclusive: Google Cloud on the road to autonomous SecOps
The new tools could cut analysts’ manual threat-response work from days to minutes as Google Cloud pushes SecOps towards an autonomous SOC.
Exclusive: Google Cloud accelerates shift to agentic data
Enterprises may soon design data systems for AI agents rather than staff, as Google Cloud adds real-time context, automation and cross-cloud access.
Exclusive: Adobe ANZ chief on AI adoption trends
AI is increasingly moving into live use across Australia and New Zealand, as regulated sectors test deployments while CEOs chase productivity gains.
Exclusive: Google sees success with niche AI playbooks
Enterprises are under pressure to prove AI returns as Google pushes reusable, sector-specific playbooks into production across 19 industries.
Kia Ora New Zealand: Microsoft AI Tour delivers a dose of He Tangata
Microsoft is betting on AI training to ease workplace fears, after pledging to skill another 200,000 people in New Zealand.
Reviews
Hands-on review: Google Fitbit Air
Hands-on review: Apple Creator Studio earns its keep
Game review: Pragmata (PC)
Hands-on review: Pocket AI Notetaker handy, not revolutionary
Hands-on review: Samsung Galaxy A57 5G smartphone
Hands-on review: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra refined flagship
Hands-on review: Avast Deepfake Guard and Scam Guardian
Game review: Taxi Chaos 2 (Xbox Series X)
Hands-on Review: Dell Pro 13 Premium laptop
Expert Columns
Beyond automation: Why AI is forcing us to rethink how work gets done
ERP's next evolution isn't automation, it's creativity
Amperity's CMO reveals how continuous decisioning fuels loyalty innovation
Enterprise leaders seek clarity over complexity in AI
'Use AI in ways you can clearly explain': key tips on maintaining trust with AI use
Networks take the wheel as AI moves from hype to reality
AI deserves our appreciation, but only if we're honest about what we're appreciating
Why AI and composable architectures are changing the ERP playbook
5 Data & AI governance trends every CDO should be watching in 2026
Why seamless Middle East 2026 should be on every commerce leader's calendar
Interviews
Interviews and video coverage from the networkRecent Artificial Intelligence News
New Zealand online scams surge as trust is exploited
Online shoppers in New Zealand face a sharper risk of fraud as fake stores and remote access attacks exploit trusted digital services.
Vero Insurance adds AI sentiment checks in New Zealand
It will let staff spot complaints and vulnerability in real time, giving Vero earlier warning of customer distress across its New Zealand teams.
Tuanz urges trust rules for New Zealand generative AI
Public confidence may decide whether generative AI delivers up to USD $76 billion for New Zealand by 2038, TUANZ said.
One NZ wins TM Forum award for AI telecoms project
New Zealand telecoms could gain a software-led revenue stream after One NZ's AI project was named among TM Forum's top Catalyst awards.
One NZ report shows 82% fall in Scope 1 & 2 emissions
Verified climate targets have pushed One NZ to cut its reported Scope 1 and 2 emissions 82% from a 2024 baseline by FY2026.
New Zealand urged to boost transparency in data use
Wider adoption of AI tools is prompting calls for plain-language data rules that give New Zealanders more control over personal information.
NZ workers slow to adopt AI, but many hide how much they use it - report
More than a third of New Zealand workers feel guilty about using AI, as businesses lag peers in adopting it, a report says.
New Zealand shoppers turn to AI & social for research
Rising living costs are pushing New Zealand shoppers to compare prices, reviews and product details across AI, social media and search.
Safety isn't just a launch state, it's a discipline
AI wellbeing coaches face persistent probing, and the company says health tools must be monitored daily as attacks grow more sophisticated.
New Zealanders hit by scams during big life events
Middle-aged New Zealanders are increasingly exposed as scammers target house moves, job searches and big purchases, research shows.
From cryptographic debt to boardroom accountability: A CEO's blueprint for post-quantum resilience
Quantum theft could expose sensitive records years from now, turning today's encrypted files into a board-level liability for Kiwi firms.
Xero brings financial data into Microsoft 365 apps
Small businesses can now pull live bookkeeping data into Excel, Word and PowerPoint without leaving Microsoft 365 or exporting CSV files.
Have we been measuring crypto adoption all wrong?
Traditional crypto gauges may be missing a shift towards blockchain quietly underpinning payments, settlement and tokenised assets.
Unison moves core operations to TechnologyOne cloud
The cloud migration should cut system overhead and give staff faster access to information as Unison modernises back-office operations across its network.
Tuanz urges stronger New Zealand cyber security rules
Small businesses face rising scam losses and AI-driven fraud as the association urges mandatory reporting and tougher platform obligations.
Lancom wins Microsoft Azure migration specialisation
Customers seeking cloud moves may see lower risk after the Auckland-based firm proved repeatable delivery on Azure database and infrastructure migrations.
Smart Planner picks Queenstown for tourism AI pilot
The resort town's tourism pressures will be used to test whether AI can improve trip planning while easing strain on local infrastructure.
mA.I Health wins ISO security certification for platform
External validation of its data protections may help mA.I Health win over families and healthcare partners handling sensitive records across providers.
New Zealand cyber losses rise as C2 incidents return
Direct financial losses climbed 76 per cent to NZD $5.6 million as three highly significant breaches revived fears over public fallout.
Auckland tech expo aims to link founders & investors
A central challenge for New Zealand tech firms is finding the right investors and partners, organisers say, as 3,000 attend.
Job Moves
Tax Traders appoints Chloe Kyrke-Smith as Head of Product
Dentsu Aotearoa launches technology practice with Knox
HP New Zealand appoints Daniel Roberts as head of enterprise
Spectrum Consulting names Darryl van Rensburg for AI drive
Inde appoints Matthew Flatt as Technical Director of Data
EY New Zealand appoints Willett & Bremner to tech roles
TenPeaks appoints Whineray as Independent Chairman
Airwallex names Sir Bill English chair of New Zealand board
moomoo boosts New Zealand push with hires, premium tier
