AI could be NZ’s competitive advantage

AI could be NZ's competitive advantage

Speaking at the AUT Technology Series, alumnus, VP & Managing Director ANZ Hitachi Vantara, Nathan Knight talked with Vice-Chancellor Professor Damon Salesa about the geopolitics of AI, and New Zealand's position.

"New Zealand doesn't need to win the frontier model race to hold a real position in this era. NZ already has something most countries are still building from scratch - a formal, government-recognised framework for Māori data sovereignty, years ahead of the moment that's now forcing everyone else to ask the same questions.

"NZ's workforce is well placed too, with demographics that make AI adoption a genuine advantage rather than a threat, and a track record of redeploying skills through change rather than losing them.

"Add high-trust institutions and a genuinely open window to make deliberate choices, and Aotearoa's starting position in this era is stronger than most people realise.

"The rules for this era are being written right now. New Zealand has a rare chance to help write them, not just adopt them, and from where I sit, somewhere between two countries that both have a stake in getting this right, that's worth saying out loud."