Productivity

This weekend I did something no sensible man should do on a Sunday. I went into my Sent folder. Not for anything important, only to find one old thread. Instead I ended up reading some of my old emails, the ones I had drafted with AI’s help. They were borderline cringe. Actually, remove the borderline. The worst ones were the charming ones You might expect AI cringe to look stiff and corporate. Mine was the opposite. It was trying very hard to be friendly and human. ...

On 26 August 2025 I found myself in a Wellington room buzzing with energy, ideas and a fair bit of scepticism. The AI Forum New Zealand had gathered four panel members to unpack both the promise and the puzzles of AI in Aotearoa. It made for a cracking afternoon. AI Forum NZ has long played the role of convener in New Zealand’s AI landscape. It pulls together industry, academia and government to accelerate AI adoption while keeping things responsible. Their latest Productivity Report set the backdrop for the discussion. The report is clear: AI can deliver significant productivity gains for New Zealand, but the challenges of governance, trust and skills still loom large. ...