Kiwis are embracing AI at work, but many are afraid to admit it – new research

New Zealand workers are increasingly upskilling and relying on AI at work however new research reveals many are hiding how much they use it.

Employment Hero’s AI Paradox at Work report shows a Kiwi workforce steadily building AI into everyday work. More than half of Kiwi workers (51%) have taught themselves AI skills through platforms like YouTube and TikTok, and 57% say AI is helping them develop more valuable skills. 

Yet despite these gains, 38% say using AI to complete parts of their job feels like “cheating” and more than a third of employees (37%) feel a sense of guilt when using AI to produce high-quality work, the lowest of any market surveyed.

Other key findings include:

• 42% believe using AI a lot shows they are not needed anymore
• Just under a third (32%) present AI-generated work as their own
• 28% use AI tools without their company knowing

New Zealand workers and local businesses were surveyed as part of the global research program exploring how AI is shaping the expectations of employees and employers, day-to-day work life, and the evolution of employment.

Employment Hero General Manager New Zealand, Neil Webster, says employers can help to combat AI guilt and retain employees who are well versed in AI by creating positive environments for adoption of the technology.

“Many businesses are still working out what AI should look like in their workplace which is understandable because it is evolving quickly and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.

“However, we’re seeing employers provide clear guidance and practical support for their teams and celebrate the productivity gains AI enables which makes people more confident to use it in ways that benefit both the business and their own professional development.” 

Dr Guy Bate, Thematic Lead for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Auckland, says the paradox is that the adoption of AI may be rising faster than the confidence in what ‘good’ AI use looks like. 

“Employees are gaining speed but feeling uneasy, while employers see efficiency gains without equivalent innovation. The way through this is not necessarily more adoption but directing AI beyond routine automation towards work that really strengthens human judgement and strategic capability,” says Dr Bate.

“It is important to remember that AI is not simply individual proficiency with AI, or just AI. It is the capacity to combine human judgement with AI in ways that improve the quality of work and decision making while retaining human responsibility.” 

Job creation, not job loss

The research challenges the assumption that AI and job creation are in opposition. Nearly one in five New Zealand business leaders (18%) say new roles will be created due to AI, and a further 50% say existing roles will be re-focused, meaning around two-thirds expect some form of positive or transformative workforce change rather than outright cuts. 

Job creation sentiment outweighs job loss sentiment by more than two to one, and only 19% of businesses think their workforce will look the same in 12 months’ time.

Businesses with advanced AI integration are also nearly twice as likely to describe themselves as “thriving,” reinforcing that AI maturity tends to track with growth rather than contraction.

New Zealand’s AI adoption gap

Webster says the findings should give Kiwi businesses confidence to lean into AI rather than hold back.

Yet despite the appetite for AI among individual workers, he says the research highlights New Zealand’s comparatively low rate of business AI adoption against the UK, Australia and Canada.

Around a third (34%) of Kiwi employers believe AI is helping to drive more innovation in their businesses compared to around half in the UK (55%) and Australia (45%). Only 15% of New Zealand businesses say AI is core to their business operations compared to almost a quarter (24%) in the UK. 

“The global data shows us that businesses that are investing in AI are significantly more likely to be thriving,” says Webster. “In New Zealand we can close the gap by businesses and their teams being bold and driving change rather than responding to AI advancements as they happen. 

“In terms of how AI supports productivity, Kiwi businesses are on a par with Australia and other countries. But when it comes to AI improving quality of work, driving cost savings, and supporting employee confidence, we are trailing.” 

Just over a third (35%) of New Zealand employers say AI is helping to reduce costs compared to 43% in Australia. When it comes to AI supporting a better work-life balance, more than a third (36%) of British businesses agree compared to 27% in New Zealand.    

People getting the most value are the least confident

The AI Paradox at Work research also shows the workers most competent with AI are often the most conflicted about using it.

“Workers with the most AI competence are the most conflicted. They know what it can do for them but are anxious about the impact it might have on their role and their livelihood,” Webster says.

Kiwi AI experts are more likely than basic-average AI-using workers to say AI is helping them develop more valuable skills (64% vs. 50%) and reduce administrative tasks (74% vs. 53%). But they are also more likely to feel replaceable: 41% of highly AI-competent workers say the technology makes them feel more vulnerable to being laid off, and 29% say their job security has decreased because of AI use in their workplace.

Webster says the answer isn’t for workers or businesses to pull back from AI, but to be more open about how it’s already being used.

“AI’s greatest value is increasing human capability by making things possible that were previously too difficult or costly. Rather than replacing people, it takes on repetitive work in key areas so businesses and their people can focus on higher-value, human-focused work.

“AI is here to stay. Instead of feeling guilty about using it, people need to feel confident using it, and workplaces need to switch their mindset to having an AI-first approach,” he says.