OPINION: No time to waste - 2026 must be NZ’s AI inflection year

Last week at The Icehouse, Microsoft’s Vanessa Sorenson and Isuru Fernando sat down with Mark Lawrence and didn’t mince words: New Zealand is roughly two years behind on AI.

Microsoft’s call is clear. New Zealand can’t wait. The message landed because the proof is here already.

The wake‑up call:

“We’re about two years behind. We’ve got no time.” - Vanessa Sorenson, Microsoft NZ

This wasn’t theatre. It was a mirror. Sorenson’s recent trips to Redmond and India surfaced two realities: even Microsoft underestimated how hard it would be to infuse AI into everything and countries with fewer resources are moving faster than us. The lesson isn’t to wait for perfect tools. It’s to move while the tools get better.

Local proof, zero excuses:

• Air New Zealand: AI analysis of in‑flight catering ended the blue‑cheese debate and cut waste - outcome $3m annual savings.
• 120‑year‑old Christchurch construction firm: went from arms‑folded sceptics to AI‑enabled RFP machine - outcome higher win rates, weekends back.

My take: New Zealand’s advantage is not tech but it’s pace with purpose. We’ll win by executing faster on the use‑cases right in front of us.

From hype to hands‑on (you probably already own it)

Two truths can coexist: Copilot was rough, and Copilot has arrived. That was the room’s honest arc from “one or two out of ten” early on, to “top‑shelf tool” today. Meanwhile, adoption curves don’t lie: ChatGPT hit 100 million users in three months that’s the fastest consumer technology uptake on record. Velocity is the story; hesitation is the risk.

Choice, not dogma: Microsoft’s platform exposes 1,800 models including OpenAI, Meta, and leading open‑source models so Kiwi firms can pick the right engine for the job.

Secure beats free: Use enterprise‑grade AI when the stakes are real. Keep experiments in the sandbox; keep customer data in the vault.

Voice, not clicks: The breakthrough is conversational work, AI that doesn’t just fetch answers but coaches, challenges, and helps you think.

What “good” looks like now

• Ship value, not demos. Efficiency pays for the journey; net‑new revenue is the destination. (As Mark put it: move beyond productivity to possibility.)
• Roles evolve, expertise compounds. Radiology didn’t disappear; demand rose. Expect the same in law, finance, construction, and customer service.
• Agents join the org chart. Treat AI agents like teammates and onboard, brief, review, and offboard when they don’t perform.
• Research, then decide. Tools like researcher collapse decision cycles from boardroom strategy to buying your next home on a deck over turquoise water.

The real gap is human, not technical and it’s solvable

We aren’t short of models; we’re short of muscle memory. Free upskilling seats are going begging while other countries aim to upskill entire populations. If we shift mindset in 2026 learn in public, build in sprints, measure in weeks we’ll compound advantage quickly:

• Avoid the race-to-zero of “efficiency only.”
• Reinvest savings into new products, services, and markets.
• Reclaim NZ’s reputation for practical ingenuity.

Straight talk on risk, ethics, and jobs

Vanessa’s point stands: Microsoft is doubling down on ethics and compliance because trust is the only way this scales. And no this isn’t a mass layoff machine. Look at the radiology precedent and Microsoft’s own headcount stability alongside massive value creation. The story is work redesigned, not work removed.

My role is to remove friction: align the execs, choose high-leverage use-cases, and give your operators templates that actually run.

Why A.icehouse and why now

New Zealand doesn’t need more hype, inspiration or theory. We need an operating system for adoption. Our role at A.icehouse is to turn urgency into outcomes help you secure tools, real data, measurable lift, and a bias for doing.

Start here in 2026: Webinars, Meetups, Cohorts, Intensives

The fastest way to change the national story is to get in the room.

• Webinars (free, 45 mins)
  Live demos and case‑based briefings on what works in NZ firms with Q&A.
• Meetups (evenings, around the motu)
  Peer showcases, practical patterns, and open playbooks.
• Cohorts & Intensive Workshops
  Hands‑on literacy programmes for SLTs and functional leads. Security, data, Copilot‑in‑work.

Your move

If you’re serious about making 2026 your inflection year, let’s talk.

Fast movers will compound advantage in 2026. We’re here to help you be one of them.

- Ghanum
Head of AI Innovation, A.icehouse
Let’s connect and build your AI advantage.