Community AI initiative sets up shop in a café
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Café goers in central Nelson can now get a taste of artificial intelligence with their coffee, with the latest iteration of growing AI initiative, the Nelson AI Sandbox (NAIS).
NAIS is celebrating its second birthday at its new home - in Halifax Cafe on Halifax St, across the road from the hub’s previous base in the Elma Turner Library.
First opened in a store front on Nelson CBD’s main thoroughfare, Trafalgar St, the volunteer-driven not-for-profit initiative was designed to empower local communities by helping people get to grips with AI technology for free.
It has since reached 25,000 people, through drop-ins, booked appointments, workshops, public talks, and visits to its website or social media, NAIS co-founder Richard Brudvik-Lindner said.
Being based in a café offered people an “even friendlier” environment in which to find out more about AI, at their own level, he said.
It was potentially the first such “AI café”, with organisers unaware of any other café, nationwide or overseas, where people could discuss and explore AI tools with experts on hand, he said.
“Doing it in a space like this is a dream come true in a lot of ways.
“It’s a comfortable, cosy space.
“If the national model needs to be about making AI approachable and adopted appropriately, that’s what we’re pioneering.”
The Government last year announced the first AI Strategy, aimed at boosting productivity, reducing barriers to use, and promoting “responsible AI adoption”.
New Zealand was lagging behind other countries in awareness and adoption of AI, Brudvik-Lindner said.
Funded by local businesses and organisations, and through grants, the NAIS model should be supported by the Government, as it could benefit communities nationwide, he said.
Nelson, as with other regions, had “been very successful on a set of legacy industries”, he said.
“[But] AI is going to up-end a lot of things … and move at light speed compared to those industries.
“You want to be the community that recognises that this train is coming … [and] you want to make sure that you’re riding it to a place that benefits your community.
“We want everybody to be lifted up.”
Satisfaction levels of people engaging with NAIS was high, even among “people who come in sceptical”, he said.
The initiative had helped many not-for-profit organisations, with 210 across the top of the South Island/Te Tauihu partnering with NAIS through free workshops funded by the Rātā Foundation.
Non-profits further afield were also getting in touch. They included charitable organisation, Sweet Louise, which supported women with incurable breast cancer.
CEO Catrin Devonald said the organisation’s 15 equivalent full time staff from around the country were due to attend an NAIS workshop in Auckland, to help the charity us AI to “reach more people more quickly”.
After attending a NAIS workshop in Nelson, she estimated the rapidly evolving technology could save the organisation’s workers about four hours work a week per person.
“Charities are often seen as doing whatever we can on the smell of an oily rag. So to be able to actually have someone … [who] can tailor the session to us and come in at an affordable price, it’s game-changing.”
Interest in introducing the NAIS model in other parts of New Zealand was growing, with NAIS “on the precipice” of rolling out something similar elsewhere, Brudvik-Lindner said.
Halifax Café was a good size and space for incorporating NAIS, with café owners Konica and Nick Chopra immediately open to the idea, he said.
Konica said they liked the idea of educating people about technology - something people of all ages could struggle with.
“They can just sit up here and grab a coffee, and have a chit chat.”
The development could also attract more customers, she said.