AI And The Kiwi Advantage: How New Zealanders Are Turning AI Adoption Into A Skills Revolution

In the swift move to harness artificial intelligence, New Zealand is emerging as a surprising frontrunner – not just in adoption rates but in transforming AI integration into a catalyst for human skill development.

Earlier in the year, the New Zealand Government announced its Responsible AI Guidance for the Public Service: GenAI. In a bid to aid in the safe use of AI, this new guidance aims to encourage the use of this revolutionary technology in a way that will amplify the voices of the population without taking advantage of them.

As Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins commented, "AI presents a major opportunity to lift productivity and improve public service delivery, but the Government must ensure it is done right. This guidance is part of a suite of tools for agencies to adopt AI in safe, transparent ways and deliver real value for New Zealanders while upholding the highest standards of trust and accountability."

While many nations are approaching AI with caution, Kiwi workers are embracing this technology relatively quickly, empowered by the Government, and using it to reshape their professional capabilities and enhance their skills and workflows.

Uncovering the reality of Kiwi AI adoption

Recent data from Workday's global research report, 'Elevating Human Potential: The AI Skills Revolution', accentuates how Kiwis are paving the way for AI adoption.

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The data reveals that 65% of New Zealand departments are already utilising AI, outpacing the global average of 59%. However, what's truly remarkable isn't just the adoption rate – it's how New Zealanders approach this technology. An overwhelming 98% report confidence in using AI for complex tasks, surpassing the global average of 91%.

This confidence appears to be rooted in a distinctly New Zealand perspective on AI's role in the workplace. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human skills, Kiwi workers see it as an enabler of human potential. Every New Zealand employee surveyed (100%) agrees that AI allows them to focus on higher-level responsibilities, compared to 93% globally.

The human edge in the machine age

What sets New Zealand apart is its emphasis on combining AI efficiency with human-centric skills. Local workers are significantly more optimistic about AI's potential to enhance human creativity, with 96% believing it will generate new forms of economic value, compared to 83% globally.

Perhaps most tellingly, New Zealand stands alone in believing that AI adoption's biggest impact on leadership will be an increased emphasis on emotional intelligence. This unique perspective suggests that Kiwi workers see AI not as a threat to human skills but as an opportunity to develop deeper, more nuanced human capabilities.

A new skills revolution in action

The data from Workday's research points to an interesting trend: as AI adoption increases, New Zealand workers are placing greater emphasis on distinctly human skills. They identify ethical decision-making, moral judgment, and conflict resolution as the most valuable future capabilities – skills that machines cannot easily replicate.

This focus on human elements is further reflected in their outlook on workplace dynamics. A striking 85% of New Zealand respondents believe employees will seek more human connection as AI usage grows, significantly higher than the global average of 75%.

AI driving workforce transformation globally

New Zealand's AI approach mirrors workforce transformations happening around the world. AdventHealth, a nonprofit Seventh-day Adventist healthcare system based in Florida, is leveraging AI solutions from HiredScore, a Workday Company, to streamline hiring efficiency, reduce external agency reliance, and re-engage past candidates. This has resulted in the recruitment of 300 qualified nurses, addressing 35% of critical job requisitions.

As Tom Nesteruk, Senior Vice President HR and Associate Chief People Officer at AdventHealth, notes, "Since we implemented HiredScore, we've seen a 40% decrease in our hiring manager decision time, from reviewing resumes to taking the next steps of scheduling interviews and statusing candidates."

This example underscores AI's potential not just in New Zealand but globally, where it is enabling organisations to solve pressing workforce challenges while empowering human talent.

Navigating the seas of change

New Zealand's approach to AI adoption offers valuable lessons for the global workforce. By viewing AI through the lens of human skill enhancement rather than replacement, Kiwi workers are creating a model for how to thrive in an AI-augmented workplace.

The data suggests that New Zealand isn't just keeping pace with global AI adoption – it's leading a revolution in how we think about the relationship between human skills and artificial intelligence. As organisations worldwide grapple with AI integration, the Kiwi approach of combining technological advancement with human-centric skill development might just provide the blueprint for success in the AI era.

- Jonathan Brabant, Workday New Zealand, Director

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