Artificial intelligence was becoming a more common part of everyday business across New Zealand, according to the AI Forum of New Zealand’s March 2025 AI in Action report. The survey found that more organisations are using AI than ever before, with businesses reporting improvements in productivity, financial performance and operational efficiency.
Rather than investing heavily in custom-built AI systems, most organisations are adopting established tools such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Claude to improve existing business processes. The findings suggest New Zealand businesses are moving beyond experimentation and focusing on practical, measurable outcomes.
Key facts
- 82% of surveyed organisations now use AI, up 15 percentage points from the previous survey.
- 93% report that AI has improved worker efficiency.
- 56% say AI has delivered a positive financial impact.
- 71% report lower operating costs through AI adoption.
- 72% rely on off-the-shelf AI solutions, while only 13% use custom-built systems.
- Administration, marketing, software development, project management and design are the most common AI use cases.
- 81% of organisations support AI training for staff.
Our take
These results reinforce what we are seeing with many New Zealand organisations. The biggest gains are coming from applying AI to everyday business tasks rather than attempting large-scale transformation projects. Well-governed use of proven AI tools, supported by staff training and sensible policies, is delivering measurable benefits with relatively low barriers to entry.
KiwiGen.AI 