The private executive roundtable brought together senior leaders to explore how AI was reshaping productivity, performance and the future of work in Aotearoa. The discussion focused on moving beyond experimentation and hype towards sustained, enterprise-wide AI impact, examining what was delivering value and the leadership choices needed to turn AI into a competitive advantage.

Participants explored the economics of AI at scale, including cloud usage, AI at the Edge, data protection and the need to manage long-term costs as AI became embedded in everyday workflows. The conversation also considered the human side of AI adoption, highlighting the importance of employee experience, engagement, fulfilment and trust alongside productivity gains.

The session provided candid perspectives on what was working, where friction remained, and how strategy, culture and operating models needed to evolve to translate AI investment into measurable productivity and long-term value for organisations across Aotearoa.