If you want the short version: New Zealand workers are already using AI at scale, but our formal training and confidence levels are still weirdly low.
That mismatch matters more than any shiny product launch. If people are already using AI at work, the competitive edge no longer comes from access to tools. It comes from who knows how to use them well.
New Zealand AI skills statistics: the headline numbers
- 87% of Kiwi workers believe developing generative AI skills is necessary for career success. (Robert Half NZ, 2025)
- 91% of Kiwi office workers use generative AI to some degree in their role. (Robert Half NZ, 2025)
- 56% use generative AI regularly or almost every day. (Robert Half NZ, 2025)
- 24% of New Zealanders have undertaken AI-related training or education. (KPMG NZ, 2025)
- Only 36% of New Zealanders believe they have the skills to use AI appropriately. (KPMG NZ, 2025)
- 63% of businesses are looking to hire people with AI skills. (RNZ reporting AWS / Access Partnership, 2024)
- 70% of businesses looking for AI talent say they are struggling to find the right people. (RNZ reporting AWS / Access Partnership, 2024)
- 79% of businesses are unsure how to train workers to use AI to improve productivity. (RNZ reporting AWS / Access Partnership, 2024)
- 84% of Kiwi knowledge workers are already using generative AI. (Microsoft NZ, 2025)
- 55% of organisations say AI has created new career opportunities. (AI Forum NZ, 2025)
- 97% of workers have heard of AI, but only 34% can clearly explain what it is. (MBIE citing Verian, 2024)
- 44% of New Zealanders believe the benefits of AI outweigh the risks. (KPMG NZ, 2025)
1. Kiwi workers have already decided AI matters
The most useful number on this page might be 87%. That is the share of Kiwi workers who say AI skills are now necessary for career success.
- 91% are already using generative AI to some degree in their role.
- 56% use it regularly or almost every day.
- 93% say they are transparent with their employer or manager about using it.
- 87% think building AI skills matters for their future career prospects.
That is not fringe experimentation anymore. It means AI literacy is starting to behave like spreadsheet literacy did in an earlier era: not exotic, just increasingly expected.
Soundbite
87% of Kiwi workers say AI skills matter for career success.
That is the number to remember if you still think AI capability is optional professional garnish.
2. Usage is high. Confidence is not.
New Zealand has a classic capability gap: plenty of usage, not enough confidence.
- 24% of New Zealanders have undertaken AI-related training or education.
- Only 36% believe they have the skills to use AI appropriately.
- 97% of workers have heard of AI, but only 34% can clearly explain what it is.
That is a rather silly shape for a market, if you think about it: people are using the tools, hearing the hype, and feeling the pressure, but a large chunk still do not feel genuinely competent.
3. Businesses want AI capability, but many do not know how to build it
The hiring and training numbers tell a very familiar story. Leaders know AI capability matters. They are just not all sure how to develop it.
- 63% of businesses are looking to employ people with AI skills.
- 70% say they are struggling to find the right kind of talent.
- 79% are unsure how to train workers to use AI to improve productivity.
- 90% of businesses and staff expected to be using generative AI tools within five years.
This is why "just hire an AI person" is not a serious strategy for most organisations. The more realistic path is upskilling existing staff, then backing that up with better tooling and governance.
4. AI skills are moving from nice-to-have to pay-rise territory
The AWS / Access Partnership research covered by RNZ is blunt about the labour-market upside.
- AI skills could boost salaries by 30% to 41%.
- 70% of older workers were also keen to build AI skills for career advancement.
- AI was expected to be used by 92% of the workforce over time.
Whether every salary forecast lands exactly as promised is beside the point. The direction is clear: AI skill is becoming economically valuable, not just socially trendy.
Soundbite
Only 24% of New Zealanders have had AI training.
That means the people who upskill now are still operating in a fairly soft field.
5. New career opportunities are showing up already
The labour-market story is not just about job anxiety. The AI Forum’s 2025 report found 55% of organisations say AI has created new career opportunities.
- 55% say AI has created new career opportunities.
- 91% of AI-using businesses report efficiency improvements.
- 77% report reduced operating costs.
- 50% cite positive financial impacts.
In plain English: the organisations getting value from AI do not just need tools. They need people who can redesign work around those tools.
6. Trust is still a drag on real capability
Skills do not exist in a vacuum. If people do not trust AI, they are less likely to use it well, and more likely to either avoid it or use it carelessly.
- Only 44% of New Zealanders believe the benefits of AI outweigh the risks.
- Only 23% think current safeguards are strong enough to make AI use safe.
- 81% believe AI regulation is required.
- 89% want laws and action to combat AI-generated misinformation.
So the NZ AI skills challenge is not merely technical. It is also behavioural and organisational: people need training, but they also need guardrails and credible norms.
7. What these NZ AI skills statistics really say
Put the numbers together and the pattern is pretty clean:
- Workers are already using AI heavily.
- Formal training is still surprisingly low.
- Confidence is lagging behind usage.
- Businesses want AI-capable people, but many do not know how to train them.
- The upside goes to the people and teams who become competent early.
That is why the practical takeaway for New Zealand professionals is not "learn every AI tool." It is much simpler:
- Learn how to use one or two tools reliably.
- Build workflow habits, not party tricks.
- Develop judgement around privacy, verification, and when not to use AI.
Do that, and you move from casual user to actual operator — which is where the leverage lives.
Frequently asked questions
How many New Zealanders have had AI training?
KPMG reported in 2025 that only 24% of New Zealanders had undertaken AI-related training or education. That means most of the country is experimenting with AI without much formal upskilling.
Do Kiwi workers think AI skills matter for their careers?
Yes. Robert Half found 87% of Kiwi workers believe developing generative AI skills is necessary for career success, which makes AI capability look less like a novelty and more like a mainstream workplace skill.
Are New Zealand workers already using generative AI at work?
Yes. Robert Half reported that 91% of Kiwi office workers use generative AI to some degree in their role, and 56% use it regularly or almost every day. Microsoft also reported 84% of Kiwi knowledge workers are already using generative AI.
What is the main AI skills problem in New Zealand?
The recurring problem is the gap between usage and capability. MBIE cites research showing 97% of workers have heard of AI but only 34% can clearly explain what it is, while KPMG found only 36% believe they have the skills to use AI appropriately.
Are NZ businesses trying to hire AI-skilled workers?
Yes, but many are struggling. RNZ reported on Access Partnership research commissioned by AWS showing 63% of businesses were looking to hire people with AI skills, 70% were struggling to find the right talent, and 79% were unsure how to train workers to use AI productively.
Sources
Every statistic on this page is grounded in a public source so you can check the original material yourself.
- KPMG NZ — Trust, attitudes and use of artificial intelligence
- Robert Half NZ — New Zealand workers embrace Gen AI and see AI skills as imperative to career success
- MBIE — Addressing barriers to AI uptake in New Zealand
- Microsoft NZ — New Zealand’s Opportunity in the New AI Economy
- RNZ — AI skills linked to higher salary, productivity, new jobs
- AI Forum NZ — AI in Action: Key Findings from New Zealand’s Third AI Productivity Report
Want the skills, not just the statistics?
Reading the numbers is one thing. Building useful AI habits, judgement, and workflows is the part that actually changes your work.
OpenClaws NZ helps New Zealand professionals move from dabbling with AI to building reliable, private, high-leverage workflows on their own hardware.