The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence
A curated Kiwi edition of IndustrialDay news, analysis, interviews, reviews, job moves, and related resources for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
What to know about Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries, reshaping business operations, enhancing customer experiences, and driving innovation across sectors globally and in Australasia. From the surge in AI-driven cybersecurity threats and the adoption of AI in cloud infrastructure to the integration of generative AI in customer service, marketing, and financial sectors, this dynamic field demands close attention.
Experts emphasise the critical role of robust data management and infrastructure in successfully leveraging AI technologies, while organisations face challenges including skill gaps, ethical considerations, and regulatory developments. As AI adoption accelerates, businesses must balance innovation with security, sustainability, and human-centric strategies to thrive in this evolving landscape.
Readers exploring this tag will gain insights into the latest AI trends, practical applications, organisational strategies, technological advancements, and the collaborative efforts shaping the future of AI. Understanding these developments is essential for anyone interested in the impact of artificial intelligence on business, technology, and society.
Kiwi Artificial Intelligence News
Regional stories with direct local relevance
Businesses turn to AI to query live operational data
Businesses are increasingly using AI assistants to pull live answers from sales, stock and staffing systems, reducing reliance on static reports.
New Zealand workers lag global average on work health
A survey found most desk-based New Zealand staff feel under strain, with just 24% reporting a healthy relationship with work versus 29% globally.
Is AI influencing how we vote?
Three quarters of New Zealanders now use AI, raising concerns that election information is being filtered before voters reach the ballot box.
Trade Me dominates NZ cyber awards with triple win
Trade Me's security work has been recognised for helping keep its platform safer, as judges honoured its team, leader and AI project.
New Zealand shoppers lose most to holiday scams, Norton says
New Zealand victims of holiday shopping scams lost an average of NZ$1,997, the highest among surveyed markets, Norton's research found.
The overlooked remedy for uncertainty? Go back to learning, says education pioneer academyEX
As AI and economic insecurity reshape work, academyEX says adult education can boost confidence, resilience and adaptability at every age.
Analyst Insights
Research and market analysis connected to Artificial Intelligence
Four Steps CISOs Can Take To Secure AI-driven Software Development
Fortinet lifts full-year outlook after strong third quarter
8x8 reports record USD $188 million revenue on AI surge
Boomi named Gartner Visionary for AI agent platform
Tanium joins OpenAI cyber programme for threat research
Featured News
Smartsheet tackles execution drift in the age of AI agents
As AI agents speed up operations, firms are struggling to spot when day-to-day work drifts away from strategy and targets.
AI success takes more than a promising pilot project
Without stronger governance and clear accountability, most AI pilots will struggle to reach production or deliver real business value.
Palo Alto Networks: AI hunting vulnerability in legacy systems
Critical infrastructure operators are being urged to merge IT and OT security as AI speeds up attacks on ageing industrial systems.
Sectigo targets ANZ growth as certificate lifespans shrink
Shorter certificate lifespans are pushing Australian and New Zealand firms to automate renewals, or face higher security and outage risks.
CU Medicine's Philip Chiu: Surgery goes digital, but the surgeon stays
CU Medicine Dean Philip Chiu says AI and robotics will take surgery from analogue to digital, with embodied AI assisting the surgeon.
Transform your business with Telstra Adaptive Networks
Businesses facing outages and surging demand can now reroute traffic, scale bandwidth and cut IT admin as Telstra's network adapts in real time.
Float: Exposing the hidden costs of insurance premiums
Policyholders could save thousands as Float says hidden commissions of 15% to 25% and admin-heavy renewals are inflating premiums.
Scaling AI means reinventing how work gets done
The shift could reshape hiring, audits and pay as firms move from AI pilots to automated workflows that rely on new guardrails.
Workday is a Fortune 500 startup reborn for the AI era
Its AI-first overhaul has cut layers, sped product cycles and left the company betting that startup-style speed can still serve Fortune 500 customers.
GitHub: Developers aren't disappearing. They're leveling up
AI is pushing software teams into higher-value roles, with GitHub saying developers are moving from coding to orchestration and business alignment.
The future of successful HR will use AI with human oversight
AI could free HR teams from routine admin, but Workday says sensitive hiring decisions need deterministic guardrails and explicit human oversight.
AI attacks demand operational change in the post Mythos era
Only 5% of Australian companies are ready for AI-driven attacks, leaving most exposed as threat actors move at machine speed.
UST: Businesses must rethink how AI returns are measured
Australian firms risk spending increasing resources on AI pilots that ultimately fail to prove gains in revenue, efficiency or customer service.
Data sovereignty is a strategic imperative in the AI era
AI is pushing boards to weigh local control against cloud convenience, with 80% of respondents saying sovereignty matters more in vendor selection.
Logitech makes largest B2B move yet with Rally Bar 2
The Swiss group is betting on extra processing power and AI-ready features to keep enterprise meeting rooms usable for longer.
Organisations need a strategic approach to skills in the AI world
Companies are missing out on returns from AI and other new tools because staff training and change management are lagging behind.
AI workloads & modern facilities driving Honeywell growth
Data centre operators are under pressure to supply their own electricity, opening the door for Honeywell to add on-site power and utilities.
Logitech blends style, work practicality with Zone Vibe Pro
Hybrid workers will soon be able to effortlessly swap between calls and music without changing headsets, as Logitech's new model lands in October.
AI demands network agility and better operational governance
Governance gaps are leaving most organisations exposed as AI traffic surges and networks struggle to keep pace with machine-speed demands.
Interview: Cloudera says open-ended AI spending is over
Enterprises are now demanding proof of value and tighter controls as AI budgets face scrutiny over compute costs and deployment choices.
Zscaler takes zero trust beyond the corporate network
Critical infrastructure operators are using cellular links to secure distributed assets as outages and spoofing raise the stakes for resilience.
Workiva: The secret compliance and reporting arms race
Driven by improved tooling, finance teams are meeting higher standards as regulators and analysts scrutinise disclosures faster.
Exclusive: ABBYY says AI build costs will drive buying
Enterprises could cut AI spend by up to 80% by shifting document workflows away from custom builds and into standard platforms.
Exclusive: ABBYY brings zero-shot document AI to Vantage
Enterprises can now extract data from unseen document types without templates, as ABBYY rolls out zero-shot capabilities in Vantage.
ABB: Renewables usage puts NZ in data centre sweet spot
Renewables are leaving New Zealand well placed for data centres, but ABB says grid upgrades and smarter use of existing assets are needed.
Why businesses need more than technology to scale AI
Only 19 per cent of enterprise AI use cases hit most or all goals, as Infosys urges firms to pair technology with data, training and governance.
Interview: Cloudera bets on hybrid AI growth in JAPAC
Banks and large enterprises in Asia-Pacific are rethinking cloud-first AI plans as costs, sovereignty and regulation favour hybrid deployments.
Genetec: Open platforms key as physical security evolves
Businesses are prioritising hybrid, open security systems to protect existing hardware investments while adopting cloud and AI tools more gradually.
Docusign's next move: Own the contract, not just the signature
Rapid adoption as Docusign's IAM platform cuts contract delays and turns signed agreements into AI-driven workflows.
AI transforming physical security into enterprise data solution
AI and cloud tools are turning cameras into live operational data sources, helping firms cut costs, spot errors and manage fleets centrally.
Future of AI is distributed infrastructure built on open source
Rising AI demand is exposing cloud bottlenecks, as firms eye in-house open source systems to cut costs and limit vendor lock-in.
AI transforms CX to go beyond the chatbot
Consumers now expect faster, more automated support as AI agents handle complex customer journeys, though many firms still struggle to prove ROI.
Open source is powering the next generation of frontier AI
Rising inference demand and custom hardware needs are pushing AI infrastructure beyond standard cloud setups, boosting open source tools.
Governance controls are crucial for AI adoption and modernisation
Trusted partners and tighter guardrails are becoming essential as AI agents expand the attack surface and put data sovereignty on the line.
Datadog targets enterprise risk with AI and automation
Australian enterprises are under pressure to tame AI-driven complexity, compliance risk and rising technology costs as Datadog broadens its platform.
The internet times are a'changing Fastly
Bot traffic is forcing Fastly to adapt its edge cloud tools as publishers and AI firms battle over caching, access and data protection.
Rimini Street offers AI magic without the forced ERP migration
CIOs can keep existing ERP systems and still adopt agentic AI, as Rimini Street pitches a cheaper path away from vendor-led migrations.
Customers at the centre of Adobe's new AI evangelist role
Adobe is using the post to help customers navigate AI adoption while feeding regional priorities back into its global product strategy.
Jamf launches AI Governance to enhance visibility, security
IT teams can now track AI models on Apple fleets to curb data leaks and token spend as businesses wrestle with shadow AI.
AI models expose new attack surfaces through misconfiguration
Misconfigured models are giving attackers a fresh route into cloud systems, raising the risk of data theft and service compromise.
Zendesk's outcome-based pricing balances AI with human touch
Businesses will pay only for closed support cases under Zendesk's new model, as the software group ties AI automation to human fallback.
Cvent says event success lies in genuine human interaction
Hybrid formats are helping organisers broaden reach without losing the in-room relationships that still drive trust, leads and donations.
Thermomix moves HQ to Melbourne to capture Aussie kitchens
The shift will bring the appliance maker closer to eastern customers, as Australia and New Zealand now account for most of its sales.
AI will fade, says Dell Technologies' ephemeral Chief AI Officer
Dell says agentic AI should shift routine tasks below the machine line, freeing staff for expert work while making the role temporary.
Schrodinger's ERP both dead and alive, says Rimini Street
Businesses can avoid costly ERP rip-and-replace projects by layering AI and automation onto existing systems, Rimini Street says.
AI adoption races ahead of governance in businesses
Only one in six staff are getting enough AI training, leaving firms exposed to poor decisions, shadow tools and weak returns.
Network segmentation - you can't attack what you can't see
Fast-moving exploits are shrinking patch windows to hours, making network segmentation vital for protecting cameras, medical devices and other connected assets.
ClickHouse customer base soars on back of AI demand
AI agents are driving a sharp rise in demand for the real-time data platform, which added 1000 customers early in 2026 to top 4000.
Smart stuff in Dell's simplified approach to the venerable PC
Businesses need not necessarily rush to replace working PCs for AI, as Dell says those with accelerators can still handle workloads.
SUSE targets Australia's industrial edge to drive growth
Australian miners, shippers and utilities could be next to benefit as SUSE pushes edge computing and AI inference beyond data centres.
Pead: AI search transition reshaping corporate reputation
AI-generated answers are already shaping public perceptions, forcing firms to manage reputation across trusted third-party sources instead of search rankings.
Reviews
Hands-on review: Samsung Z Fold8
Hands-on review: Google Fitbit Air
Hands-on review: Apple Creator Studio earns its keep
Game review: Pragmata (PC)
Hands-on review: Pocket AI Notetaker handy, not revolutionary
Hands-on review: Samsung Galaxy A57 5G smartphone
Hands-on review: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra refined flagship
Hands-on review: Avast Deepfake Guard and Scam Guardian
Game review: Taxi Chaos 2 (Xbox Series X)
Expert Columns
Data Governance in Banking: A Framework for Better Data Quality
Predictions 2027: The workplace productivity, equity and diversity shifts in the AI era
Predictions 2027: Why the future of work is 'AI and human' adjacent
Why AI, Trusted Data and Human Judgement Will Define Customer Experience for the Year Ahead
Predictions: Why AI, Customer Context and Measurable Value Will Define Loyalty in 2027
Is AI influencing how we vote?
The overlooked remedy for uncertainty? Go back to learning, says education pioneer academyEX
We can perform brain surgery, but healthcare is still drowning in paperwork
AI agents will multiply your inference bill. Is your enterprise ready?
Digital inclusion starts with listening to young people
Interviews
Interviews and video coverage from the network
Smartsheet tackles execution drift in the age of AI agents
AI success takes more than a promising pilot project
Palo Alto Networks: AI hunting vulnerability in legacy systems
Sectigo targets ANZ growth as certificate lifespans shrink
CU Medicine's Philip Chiu: Surgery goes digital, but the surgeon stays
Recent Artificial Intelligence News
Forrester warns of shadow AI governance gap in Asia Pacific
One in three large Asia Pacific enterprises will struggle to govern shadow AI agents as staff-built tools outpace internal controls, Forrester says.
Dell expands AI factory with NVIDIA for agentic AI
More than 6,500 customers have adopted Dell's AI Factory with NVIDIA as it adds deskside systems, servers and managed services for agentic AI.
APDCA launches playbook for data centre policymakers
Governments across Asia-Pacific are being urged to prepare power, water and land planning now, as demand for AI infrastructure accelerates.
WitFoo says filtering data cuts AI security costs 79%
Filtering security logs before they reach AI models could save organisations 79% on annual costs, according to WitFoo's paper.
Sinch joins SpaceXSI network to aid Grok Build apps
Developers using Grok Build can now add customer communications tools earlier, as Sinch joins SpaceX Super Intelligence's partner network.
Australian MSPs face rising demand for AI security advice
Nearly six in 10 prospective customers are worried about AI-related threats, pushing Australian MSPs to explain cyber risk in plain language.
SITA to buy Flightscape in airline operations push
The deal should give airlines a more joined-up view of operations as SITA adds Flightscape's planning and crew software to its portfolio.
Confluent unveils Streamhouse & Lightning Tables for AI
The new tools aim to give AI systems a governed, real-time view of business data without moving it into separate databases.
Google Cloud launches new security tools for AI agents
The rollout aims to help companies patch AI-driven systems faster, as Google adds identity, perimeter and detection controls across its cloud security stack.
A1 launches AI governance service for mid-market firms
Growing regulatory scrutiny is pushing mid-market firms in Australia and New Zealand to prove who owns AI tools, what they access and how they are controlled.
Perplexity launches Teammates AI agents for Max users
Access to Perplexity's new Teammates feature is limited to individual Max subscribers, leaving Pro and enterprise users waiting for a broader rollout.
Data centre power market set to hit USD $107 billion
Rising AI power demand and grid delays are pushing operators to upgrade electrical systems as the market is forecast to reach USD $107.06 billion by 2034.
Google Cloud unveils self-learning context tools for AI
The preview tools aim to cut manual upkeep and make AI agents more accurate as firms struggle to keep business context current.
Brivo launches AI tool for security systems resellers
The read-only release lets resellers query account data in Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini, speeding support and renewal work across customer sites.
KloudStax wins Google Cloud services Premier partner status
Rapid revenue growth and a bigger AI pipeline have helped KloudStax secure elite Google Cloud status, widening customer access to technical support.
Uptiq launches GovernAI for financial institutions
The tool is meant to ease board and regulator concerns by giving lenders audit trails, approvals and user controls for AI agents.
Fast Simon launches AI model for Shopify discovery
The new system is meant to help Shopify brands lift conversions and basket sizes by automating product ranking around shopper behaviour and stock levels.
Avenir Global buys Marker Collective to boost reach
The deal gives the Montreal-based group a stronger technology arm and lifts its workforce to more than 1,500 across 20 offices worldwide.
Web Hole attack targets AI agents via abandoned sites
AI agents could be tricked into harmful actions by search results pointing to expired domains that attackers can re-register and poison.
Dropbox to buy Tigris Data in USD $350 million deal
The deal would extend Dropbox beyond file sharing as it races to meet rising demand for storage underpinning AI applications.
Job Moves
Ingram Micro names Becs Paterson to New Zealand role
Equinox IT appoints Victoria MacLennan as director
Inde appoints Nish Sudhakaran as AI & data director
Microsoft appoints Nick Walton as NZ Managing Director
One New Zealand names CFO, CTO in executive succession
Tax Traders appoints Chloe Kyrke-Smith as Head of Product
Dentsu Aotearoa launches technology practice with Knox
HP New Zealand appoints Daniel Roberts as Head of Enterprise
Spectrum Consulting names Darryl van Rensburg for AI drive