New artificial intelligence (AI) research released today shows that while AI is becoming a mainstream part of New Zealanders daily lives, a significant trust gap remains.
The One NZ AI Trust Report found that while 77% have knowingly used AI-powered services in the past year, nearly half don’t trust large companies to use AI ethically.
Furthermore, 62% say they would stop using a company if they had concerns about its AI use, with top concerns being the misuse of personal data (67%), job losses (65%), and unfair decision-making (62%).
Commissioned by One NZ to help Kiwi businesses consider how to adopt AI, the research surveyed 1,000 New Zealanders and shows many have serious concerns about how the technology is being used.
One NZ CEO, Jason Paris, says building trust is key to One NZ’s AI strategy, “The opportunity for New Zealand to boost productivity with AI is massive, but it’ll only work if Kiwis trust the right steps are being taken when it comes to using these tools ethically.
“We commissioned this report to listen to New Zealanders and help businesses use AI in a way that’s transparent, ethical, and ultimately human-led. Businesses that fail to earn trust will fail to realise AI’s full potential.”
Key Findings from the AI Trust Report:
• AI use is now widespread: 77% of New Zealanders have interacted with AI-powered services in the past year.
• Trust is fragile: 62% say they would stop using a company if they had concerns about its AI use.
• Top concerns: Misuse of personal data (67%), job losses (65%), and unfair decision-making (62%).
• Essential safeguards: 87% believe strong data privacy protections are “important or essential”.
• Recognised benefits: Kiwis see value in AI for boosting productivity (43%), cybersecurity (42%), and innovation (41%).
• Industry differences: Government, banking, and healthcare face greater challenges in building public confidence in their AI practices.
• Size matters: Kiwis are much more likely to trust small businesses and large NZ businesses to use AI ethically and responsibly, compared to multinational companies.
• Sustainability concerns: While some see AI’s potential for environmental gains, 48% worry about energy consumption and greenwashing.
The report calls on Kiwi businesses to act by embedding transparent, human-centred AI systems, and addressing legitimate concerns through clear communication, robust governance, and a commitment to fairness.
One NZ is encouraging businesses across all sectors to read the report and treat trust as a strategic priority. The full report provides a roadmap for earning and sustaining public confidence in a future powered by AI.
“At One NZ, we’ve done a lot of groundwork, making sure our approach is guided by the right ethics and data privacy frameworks. We’re starting to see real world results from the technology as we roll it out, including better customer experiences and increased fraud protections,” adds Paris. “The businesses that lead on AI will be the ones Kiwis choose to engage with, work for, and support.
“While we recognise the enormous potential benefits of AI, it’s important to appreciate many Kiwis have concerns, particularly around how their data will be used, how decisions will be made by these autonomous agents, and what this means for people’s jobs. Importantly, people want to know when AI is being used, and how to get support from a human where needed.
“That’s why we believe communication and training go hand-in-hand with any rollout of these tools. Transparency is key, and we’ve committed a quarter of our budget to ensuring our staff gain AI skills that are transferable within the market.
“We’re hoping by sharing our experiences we can help other organisations to maximise AI tools, and boost productivity for New Zealand overall. It’s also important to remember that to benefit from AI, businesses need to ensure they have the underlying technology in place, including an AI-ready network and digital infrastructure.
“AI isn’t just about LLMs, algorithms and data science, it also requires a great connectivity network to underpin it. A robust, high performance, and secure network isn’t a nice-to-have - it’s essential for organisations to be able to truly harness the transformative power of AI.”
To download the full report, click here.
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