Kiwis using AI at work at less than ideal levels: research
Tuesday, 7 July 2026
Most Kiwis are under-utilising artificial intelligence but many who do use it at work feel guilty about doing so and some go as far as hiding how much they do with it, according to new research.
About a third of local employers surveyed by software company Employment Hero believe AI is helping to drive more innovation in their businesses, compared with just over half in Britain and 45% in Australia.
But almost 40% of local workers feel guilty about using it - despite knowing it helps produce better work.
The global research report AI Paradox at Work highlighted that New Zealand has comparatively low rates of business AI adoption, compared with levels in Britain, Australia and Canada.
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Dr Guy Bate, thematic lead for artificial intelligence at the University of Auckland said New Zealand workers and employers needed to be on the same page, and the adoption of AI may be rising faster than the confidence in what “good” AI use looks like because better guardrails around it in the workplace are needed.
“Adoption possibly precedes translation to full utility, and this is the same in any organisation to some extent … we have got access to tools, but it takes a while to understand how best to use them, and that means people aren't necessarily sharing what they're doing,” Bate told The Post.
“What we've got at the moment is people experimenting at all levels, so grassroots use, but without the clarity that this use is good.”
Bate found the research not surprising given most people were left to their own devices to experiment and implement AI in the work, with not all workforces having parameters and when it could be uses mapped out.
Many workers in this country were not sure whether they were meant to be using it or not within their organisation and so were secretive about their usage, which was demonstrated in the data, showing 28% of Kiwis use AI tools without their company knowing.
“People don't know whether they're doing it right, and therefore they don't tell people or share. They're not feeling confident enough to share it.”
Bate said good uses of AI needed to be demonstrated and presented by leadership teams and management to show workers how to best use and utilise the fast-developing technology.
“With sharing comes openness, transparency, and you know that's when you really see the benefits,” Bate said.
“If it's seen as a thing you're just given, and let's adopt AI. Well, what does adopt mean in my day job? I think people need support to say in your day job, these are the things you can use it for that augment your capability, that aren't replacing or bypassing your skill sets, but allowing you to do it better, or to iterate faster.”
Other findings from the research showed 42% of Kiwis believed using AI a lot showed they were not needed any more, and just under a third present AI-generated work as their own.
Employment Hero general manager Neil Webster said the research showed the workers most competent with AI were often the most conflicted about using it.
They knew what it could do for them but were anxious about the impact it might have on their role and their livelihood, but that should not be a cause for concern, he said.
“AI's greatest value is increasing human capability by making things possible that were previously too difficult or costly. Rather than replacing people, it takes on repetitive work in key areas so businesses and their people can focus on higher-value, human-focused work,” Webster said.
“Instead of feeling guilty about using it, people need to feel confident using it, and workplaces need to switch their mindset to having an AI-first approach.”