We’re on the final countdown to our annual Summit on 18 September in Auckland. Over the coming week we’ll announce an amazing line-up of speakers that shows just how deep the AI talent and conversation runs in Aotearoa.
400+ participants: AI Hackathon Festival ’25
Across 9 venues nationwide, this year’s AI Hackathon Festival smashed our previous participation record by more than 100. Teams delivered outstanding solutions—from helping tamariki with background and learning challenges stay engaged at school to enabling better after-care on hospital discharge, reducing readmissions and recovery failures.
The final four teams will pitch at the AI Summit, where you can vote for the overall TAIAO prize winner (thanks to Eagle Technology). New this year: an Agentic AI prize (thanks to Aware Group).
None of this would be possible without our sponsors and contributors—special thanks to the University of Waikato, AUT, Media Design School, academyEX, EPIC Innovation, the University of Otago, and AWS.
Aotearoa AI Awards finalists announced!
We’re delighted to share the finalists for the inaugural Aotearoa AI Awards, recognising leadership, innovation, and real-world impact across Aotearoa’s AI community. Winners will be revealed at the Awards Ceremony on 17 September and celebrated at the Aotearoa AI Summit on 18 September.
Finalists:
- AI Changemaker of the Year (Sponsored by British High Commission): Geri Harris, Lee Wilson, SupaHuman Team
- Outstanding AI Implementation (Sponsored by Enlighten Designs): ALMA Team at PHF Science; Hutt City Council Team; Kiwa Digital Team
- Rising AI Star (Sponsored by Tompkins Wake): Amir Mohammadi, Andrew Lensen, Blake Harkness, Susana Tomaz
- Te Ao Māori & Pasifika AI (Sponsored by ANZ): Shae Parsons, Shanelle Partridge, Kiwa Digital Team
- Trailblazer in AI Innovation (Sponsored by Spark): ALMA Team at PHF Science; Spark’s Analytics GPT Team ; ElementX Team
We can’t wait to celebrate with you next Wednesday, 17 September, in Auckland. A few tickets are still available—secure your spot now.
AI in Action
Our latest AI in Action report, examines AI’s impact on New Zealand’s productivity. Adoption and benefits are strong: 67% of organisations are using AI; 96% report improved worker efficiency; 50% increased output; and 62% report cost savings, with minimal job displacement (8%). We were proud to present the launch in Melbourne at the Australian Local Government Summit.
Thanks to support from Victoria University of Wellington, AWS, MinterEllisonRuddWatts and our new PR partners HEFT.
Read the full report for insights and case studies.
From our community: it’s great to see Ten Past Tomorrow collaborating with The Icehouse to bring AI to life for SMEs—read on for more.
See you at the Summit!
Ngā mihi
Madeline Newman
Executive Director, AI Forum NZ
A.Icehouse: Making AI Real for Kiwi SMEs
A.Icehouse is a pilot initiative from The Icehouse and Ten Past Tomorrow, combining 25 years of SME support with applied AI expertise to lift AI literacy, skills, and strategy nationwide. With generative AI reshaping productivity, many SMEs feel overwhelmed by tools and hype. A.Icehouse provides accessible, practical pathways: a 4‑week AI Traction programme for SLTs, an on‑demand AI Academy, 2‑day Live Intensives for adoption roadmapping, and free monthly meetups and webinars. The goal: measurable confidence and skills uplift, case studies showing productivity and ROI, and a scalable model that could become a national platform by 2026.
