This is a huge month for news:
We are incredibly proud to announce the first ever Aotearoa AI Awards. Nominations and entries are now open — let’s celebrate all the amazing work going on here! Thanks to our partners AUT, Aware Group, ANZ, Enlighten Designs and Tompkins Wake. The winners will be announced at a cocktail evening hosted by AUT on Wednesday, 17 September, and then celebrated again at our AI Summit 2025 on the following day, with the audience selecting the People’s Choice Award winners.
Registrations for our 4th annual motu wide AI Hackathon Festival 25 are live! We have 6 venues across Aotearoa with more to come. Wellington has won for the last 2 years running — will it be someone else’s turn this year?!
Missing the great conversations at our AI in Creative Industries Summit and can’t wait for August? The Screen Music and Sound Guild are running an AI Creative Media Hackathon this weekend (Saturday, 28 & Sunday, 29 June) in Auckland.
It’s great to see our community growing through the efforts of our members like Bex MacPherson at Kowhai organising meet ups in Wellington, and now Karrina Mountford launching The AI Assembly — check out their next HerAIStory event in Auckland here.
Something else worth celebrating: The AI Forum has 200+ volunteers creating content to help make our vision of AI Leading a thriving Aotearoa that is innovative, responsible and inclusive a reality.
Together, we’re building an AI-enabled Aotearoa that leads with innovation, responsibility, and inclusivity.
Ngā mihi
Madeline Newman
Executive Director, AI Forum NZ
Be part of telling the real story of AI adoption
Whether your business uses AI or not, your voice matters in uncovering the real impact of AI on productivity across Aotearoa. This independent research, conducted with Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, helps separate fact from speculation. Takes just 5 minutes.
Complete the survey here. Survey closes 6 July 2025.
Help Shape the Future of AI in Architecture, Engineering & Construction!
The AEC Working Group invites you to participate in our AI Innovation Questionnaire. Your insights will inform the design of new initiatives to accelerate AI’s positive impact in your organisation and for Aotearoa New Zealand’s AEC sector. This brief survey is designed for organisational leaders to help uncover gaps and gather insights to frame a governance and implementation strategy for initiating a pilot project.
Complete the survey today: AI Innovation Questionnaire
AI Blueprint Lunchtime Webinars
Join us for insightful updates from the sector leaders behind Aotearoa’s AI Blueprint. As we reach the mid-year mark, the blueprint continues to drive discussion and innovation across key industries. Now, hear directly from the experts as they share recent developments and what’s next on the horizon for these industries.
7 July | Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC), Creative Industries and Agriculture. Register here.
14 July | Education, Environment and Health. Register here.
Read full news here: Announcing the Inaugural Aotearoa AI Awards + Hackathon 2025 Registration Now Open!
