AI Forum New Zealand

We are delighted to welcome Accenture New Zealand as a Diamond Sponsor of the Aotearoa AI Summit 2026. As organisations across Aotearoa move from AI ambition to real-world adoption, the focus is shifting to how we build capability, empower people, create measurable value and scale responsibly. Accenture brings deep expertise across technology transformation and AI, with a focus on helping organisations reinvent in a rapidly changing world. Their support helps create the space for leaders across industry, government, research and the innovation ecosystem to work through the practical opportunities and decisions shaping Aotearoa’s AI future. Thank you, Accenture, for supporting Aotearoa’s pre-eminent AI gathering. 𝗞𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗽𝘂ā𝘄𝗮𝗶 | 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. 8–9 September 2026 | Tākina, Wellington Register: https://lnkd.in/e6KYk9ks Madeline Newman #AotearoaAISummit #Accenture #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ResponsibleAI #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #TechNewZealand

Early Bird tickets close tonight for the Aotearoa AI Summit 2026. This is your final chance to secure the Early Bird price for two days at the heart of Aotearoa’s AI conversation. The programme brings together the big questions and practical work shaping AI today: sovereign capability and infrastructure, trust and public acceptance, scaling AI from pilot to production, workforce transformation, productivity, digital exports, and on day two, hands-on workshops for leaders and practitioners. With thanks to our Summit partners, Accenture New Zealand, Microsoft, Datacom, Autohive, WellingtonNZ, Zoho Australia & New Zealand, Amazon Web Services (AWS), DLA Piper, PwC New Zealand, Quantumoo, Spark New Zealand, academyEX, ElementX, MBIE Science and Innovation, Nodero, Zscaler, Novamind Labs and Kōwhai AI Ltd. 𝗞𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗽𝘂ā𝘄𝗮𝗶 | 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. 🎟️ Secure your Early Bird ticket before prices increase tomorrow. 8–9 September 2026 | Tākina, Wellington Register: https://lnkd.in/ex_rWMHw Madeline Newman Tech New Zealand #AotearoaAISummit #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #GenAI #ResponsibleAI #FutureOfWork #Innovation #TechNewZealand

Early Bird tickets for the Aotearoa AI Summit 2026 close tomorrow, Friday 14 August. Join us at Tākina, Wellington for two days of practical discussion, fresh ideas and meaningful connections with leaders across industry, government, research and the innovation ecosystem. The programme includes sessions on sovereign AI capability, public trust and social licence, moving AI from pilot to production, workforce transformation, productivity and digital exports. As well as practical workshops designed for senior leaders and practitioners on the second half of day 2. Thanks to our Summit partners, Accenture New Zealand, Microsoft, Datacom, Autohive, WellingtonNZ, Zoho Australia & New Zealand, Amazon Web Services (AWS), DLA Piper, PwC New Zealand, Quantumoo, Spark New Zealand, ElementX, MBIE Science and Innovation, Nodero, Zscaler, Novamind Labs and Kōwhai AI Ltd for helping us bring this year's Summit to life! 𝗞𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗽𝘂ā𝘄𝗮𝗶 | 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. 🎟️ Secure your Early Bird ticket before prices increase tomorrow. 8–9 September 2026 | Tākina, Wellington Register: https://lnkd.in/ex_rWMHw Madeline Newman Tech New Zealand #AotearoaAISummit #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #GenAI #ResponsibleAI #FutureOfWork #Innovation #TechNewZealand

Early Bird tickets for the Aotearoa AI Summit 2026 close this Friday, 14 August. Join leaders from industry, government, research and the innovation ecosystem for two days of keynotes, panels, roundtables, practical sessions and valuable connections. Explore the opportunities and decisions shaping AI in Aotearoa, from infrastructure and sovereign capability to public trust, workforce transformation, frontier technologies, real-world implementation, and the economic value AI can unlock. 𝗞𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗽𝘂ā𝘄𝗮𝗶 | 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. 🎟️ Secure your Early Bird ticket before Friday, 14 August. 8–9 September 2026 | Tākina, Wellington Register: https://lnkd.in/ex_rWMHw Madeline Newman #AotearoaAISummit #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #GenAI #ResponsibleAI #FutureOfWork #Innovation #TechNewZealand

It’s the final venue day of the 2026 Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival. Today, teams are live at: academyEX, Auckland Business South + University of Otago, Dunedin After days of collaboration, problem-solving and rapid prototyping across Aotearoa, teams are bringing their ideas together and preparing to share what they’ve built. A huge congratulations to everyone who has taken part across the festival, and thank you to every venue host, mentor, judge, sponsor and supporter who has helped make this week possible. We’re excited to see which local winners progress to national judging, with finalists going on to pitch at the Aotearoa AI Summit. Find out more about the festival here: https://aihackathon.nz/ Woolworths New Zealand F&P Healthcare The University of Waikato Madeline Newman #AIHackathon #AIForGood #Aotearoa #Innovation #TechNZ

Another big day for the 2026 Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival. Today, teams are live at: Unitec + Seen Ventures, Auckland Auckland University of Technology + She Sharp, Auckland AUT + Tū Ātea, Auckland academyEX, Auckland Business South + University of Otago, Dunedin Across these venues, participants are refining ideas, building prototypes and preparing to pitch their AI solutions to local judging panels. A special welcome to our Dunedin teams joining the festival today with Business South + University of Otago, and to our academyEX teams getting underway in Auckland. Good luck to everyone building, testing and pitching today. Find out more about the festival and venues here: https://aihackathon.nz/ Woolworths New Zealand F&P Healthcare The University of Waikato Madeline Newman #AIHackathon #AIForGood #Aotearoa #Innovation #TechNZ

The 2026 Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival is in full swing. Today, teams are building across five venues: Unitec + Seen Ventures, Auckland Auckland University of Technology + She Sharp, Auckland AUT + Tū Ātea, Auckland Te Ipu o Te Mahara | Artificial Intelligence Institute, Waikato Amazon Web Services (AWS), Wellington EPIC Innovation + Canterbury Tech, Christchurch From Auckland to Waikato, Wellington and Christchurch, participants are working together to solve real problems through AI, supported by mentors, subject matter experts and local judging panels. This is what AI For Good looks like in action: people from different backgrounds coming together to build solutions that matter. Find out more about the festival and venues here: https://aihackathon.nz/ Woolworths New Zealand F&P Healthcare The University of Waikato Madeline Newman #AIHackathon #AIForGood #Aotearoa #Innovation #TechNZ

Great news for New Zealand’s future workforce – a new subject to teach secondary students how to work with agentic AI. The announcement of a new Applied Intelligent Systems subject for senior secondary students is exactly the sort of step we need to help rangatahi thrive in a world increasingly shaped by AI. The demand for people who can build, manage and work confidently with advanced digital technologies is continuing to grow – not decline – thanks to AI. It is no longer just about coding; it is about understanding how to use these powerful modern tools well. A practical, project-based subject that helps students evaluate intelligent systems, apply human judgement and consider responsible use will create valuable pathways into further study and careers across every sector of our economy. Congratulations to the ETITC Industry Skills Board and everyone involved. I look forward to seeing industry, schools and educators work together to bring it to life. Thank you also to the KiwiSaaS New Zealand community for your insight in how our #digitalexport businesses are already applying agentic AI and feedback that helped craft the new curricula. 𝚃̲𝚑̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚗̲𝚎̲𝚠̲ ̲𝚌̲𝚘̲𝚞̲𝚛̲𝚜̲𝚎̲: Applied Intelligent Systems will use a combination of tools, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, to analyse data, make informed decisions, build digital applications, and adapt to changing environments. Through project-based individual and group-work, students will learn how to design, create, use and evaluate these intelligent systems to solve real-world challenges. The subject requires no prior programming proficiency as it leverages no-code and low-code platforms and can be implemented on a standard school computer. The students will use practical digital tools to create and build systems that work. As they do this, students also learn to understand what the system is doing, recognise where it might go wrong, how it can be improved, and decide when human oversight is still needed. #AI #DigitalSkills #FutureOfWork #TechNZ #Education AI Forum New Zealand Madeline Newman Tech New Zealand David Clearwater Serge van Dam Delphine Ducaruge Jolie Hodson MNZM Jenni Pethig Mike Barr Victoria Lyons Carol Brown Helen Robinson, ONZM Amit Gupta Hon Erica Stanford MP

Day two of the 2026 Aotearoa AI Hackathon Festival is here, and more venues across Aotearoa are now live. Today, teams are hacking at: MISSION READY, Auckland Unitec + Seen Ventures, Auckland Te Ipu o Te Mahara | Artificial Intelligence Institute, Waikato Amazon Web Services (AWS), Wellington EPIC Innovation + Canterbury Tech, Christchurch Across these venues, participants are collaborating, testing ideas and building AI solutions that respond to real world challenges. A huge thank you to our venue hosts, mentors, judges and supporters helping bring AI For Good to life across the motu. Find out more about the festival and venues here: https://aihackathon.nz/ Woolworths New Zealand F&P Healthcare The University of Waikato Madeline Newman #AIHackathon #AIForGood #Aotearoa #Innovation #TechNZ