Few organisations have staff policies, awareness training for AI
More organisations in New Zealand are now using some form of AI amid growing enthusiasm for the technology, according to a new report.
Datacom's "State of AI Index: AI Attitudes" research surveyed 200 senior managers in New Zealand businesses and found that 66% of companies are now using some form of AI, up from 48% in 2023. Among them, 88% have introduced AI into their organisation within the last two years.
The findings come as 70% of the respondents describe AI as "exciting; I support it," up from just 47% in the previous year.
Another 80% of organisations using AI also described the technology as having a positive impact on business operations, with just two per cent saying it did not have a positive impact.
Source: State of AI Index: AI Attitudes
Common AI applications
According to the report, the most common application of AI in New Zealand is the automation of repetitive tasks and processes, which was cited by 24% of respondents.
Other benefits cited include big data analytics and synthesis of insights (17%), as well as workflow automation and optimisation (15%).
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"It's positive to see New Zealand businesses realising the benefits of AI and feeling more confident in their understanding of AI risks and opportunities," said Justin Gray, Datacom Managing Director New Zealand, in a statement.
'Stubbornly low' governance, policies on AI
Amid the widespread use of AI, however, the report discovered that governance, policies, and training on the technology remain "stubbornly low."
It found that only 13% of organisations using AI have audit assurance and governance frameworks.
It further discovered that a low percentage of organisations have staff policies for AI usage (48%), awareness training for staff (33%), as well as commercial and financial targets for AI use (11%).
Source: State of AI Index: AI Attitudes
Gray said these are areas where organisations "have to get better."
"There is huge potential for AI to transform the way we work, alleviate some of the repetitive work that can monopolise our time and make our teams more productive, but we need the guardrails in place to ensure we're using AI safely and responsibly," he said.
Gray added that it is critical that AI is built into the overall business strategy and not seen as an "add-on."
"Organisations need to be clear about the benefits that are being targeted and that can only happen if AI is part of your strategy and not an afterthought," he said.