The AI Opportunity in New Zealand.
AI is a once-in-a-generation chance to unlock productivity, boost wages, and help tackle long-standing challenges, from improving public services to accelerating clean energy and innovation. New Zealand combines fast internet, a digitally savvy population, and high AI curiosity. Adoption is already spreading through daily use at work, and is set to grow significantly over the next five years as we enter a new era of innovation.
Today, we’re publishing a fact sheet looking at some of the opportunities AI is starting to create in New Zealand. We estimate that AI could boost New Zealand’s economy by $36 billion, an increase of 10% Gross Value Added (GVA).
Four opportunities where AI can help New Zealand thrive:
Better & faster public services.
AI can streamline routine processes and create resource savings across the government. Our modelling suggests AI could lift public-sector productivity by over 6%.
Reduced drug discovery time.
AI models are able to help accelerate the pace of research, and could reduce the average time for drug discovery in biotech firms by over 40%.
Cheaper, cleaner energy.
AI models are able to help accelerate the pace of research, and could reduce the average time for drug discovery in biotech firms by over 40%.
More productive and better-paid work.
AI tools can remove hours of admin each week, letting people focus on higher-value tasks. We estimate the average worker could save 3 hours per week, supporting potential wage gains of over 9% as productivity rises.