This report is one of the most useful global indicators of where organisations really are with AI. For New Zealand businesses, it confirms what we see on the ground: plenty of experimentation, very little strategic scaling. The findings reinforce the importance of getting the foundations right - clarity of purpose, workflow redesign, upskilling your people, and simple governance.

This report provides one of the most evidence-based views on how AI impacts productivity, job quality and economic growth. For New Zealand businesses, it reinforces an important point: AI’s benefits are real, but unevenly distributed. Organisations that invest in people, training and workflow redesign see the biggest gains. Those that adopt tools without capability uplift see far fewer improvements.

This framework is the most credible and widely referenced guide for managing AI risk. For New Zealand organisations, it fills an important gap, providing a structured and internationally recognised approach in a country that does not yet have its own AI governance standard. It reinforces what we see locally: businesses want to adopt AI, but they need clarity, boundaries and confidence to do so safely.