“They know what it can do for them but are anxious about the impact it might have on their role and their livelihood,” he said.
Webster said the answer isn’t for workers or businesses to pull back from AI, but to be more open about how it’s already being used.
“AI’s greatest value is increasing human capability by making things possible that were previously too difficult or costly,” he said.
“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.”
University of Auckland’s thematic lead for artificial intelligence Dr Guy Bate said the paradox is that the adoption of AI may be rising faster than the confidence in what “good” AI use looks like.
“Employees are gaining speed but feeling uneasy, while employers see efficiency gains without equivalent innovation,” Bate said.
“The way through this is not necessarily more adoption but directing AI beyond routine automation towards work that really strengthens human judgment and strategic capability.”
Bate said it’s important to remember AI is the capacity to combine human judgment with AI in ways that improve the quality of work and decision-making while retaining human responsibility.
New Zealand’s AI adoption gap
Webster said the findings should give Kiwi businesses confidence to lean into AI rather than hold back.
However, despite the appetite for AI among individual workers, the research shows New Zealand has a comparatively low rate of business AI adoption compared with Britain, Australia and Canada.
About a third (34%) of Kiwi employers believe AI is helping to drive more innovation in their businesses compared with 55% in Britain and 45% in Australia.
Meanwhile, 15% of New Zealand businesses said AI is core to their business operations compared with almost a quarter (24%) in Britain.
“The global data shows us that businesses that are investing in AI are significantly more likely to be thriving,” Webster said.
“In New Zealand we can close the gap by businesses and their teams being bold and driving change rather than responding to AI advancements as they happen.”
Just over a third (35%) of New Zealand employers said AI is helping to reduce costs compared with 43% in Australia.
When it comes to AI supporting a better work-life balance, more than a third (36%) of British businesses agree compared with 27% in New Zealand.
“In terms of how AI supports productivity, Kiwi businesses are on a par with Australia and other countries. But when it comes to AI improving quality of work, driving cost savings, and supporting employee confidence, we are trailing,” Webster said.
The AI Paradox at Work report surveyed 256 business leaders and owners as well as 820 employees across New Zealand businesses.
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