New report reveals how competing political parties will address AI-driven workforce shifts
More than half of employers in New Zealand believe artificial intelligence and robotics will have "significant" impact on their workforce in the next five to 10 years, according to a new report.
Findings from a new BusinessNZ report revealed that 58.5% of employers in New Zealand agree that emerging technology will significantly impact the size and composition of their workforce.
Another 29.6% said they do not believe this outcome, while 11.9% said they are unsure.
The question is one of the many inquiries made by BusinessNZ in its latest election survey, which has become one of the most useful indicators of business sentiment ahead of the polls.
Parties' plans on AI's impact
The report included a second questionnaire for the main political parties contesting the election, where they revealed their plans to address the impact of emerging technology on the workforce.
Parties largely agreed that AI and other emerging technologies present an opportunity to lift productivity, though their approaches to managing the transition varied significantly.
The ACT Party said governments should be cautious in assuming that technological change will inevitably produce mass unemployment.
"Similar predictions accompanied earlier technological shifts, from mechanisation to computers, but innovation has also created entirely new industries, occupations, and opportunities," the ACT Party said in the report.
The Green Party argued the need for a "national conversation" on the impact of emerging technologies on people and the planet.
"We have proposed a one-year moratorium on AI data centres until intentional regulation can be developed," the party said.
NZ First said it supports businesses in adapting to AI, including training staff, but underscored the need for safeguards around privacy and data protection.
For the Opportunity Pparty, they view emerging technologies not as a threat. Among their election policies includes a Citizen's Income of $19,000 a year, which can act as a structural buffer against income disruption.
They are also proposing this alongside the restoration of polytechnic funding to let people retrain without feeling financially trapped.
Further commitments from the party include a Future-Fit Education system to prepare the next generation to work alongside AI, as well as competition reform to ensure AI-sector concentration does not lead to new monopoly rents.
The Labour Party said it has yet to release its workforce policy.
"We are committed to ensuring that workers are not disadvantaged by technological advances," it said.
For the ruling National Party, it pointed out that it launched New Zealand's first AI Strategy, released the Responsible AI Guidance, supported businesses to adopt new technologies and in using AI in areas like healthcare to reduce admin work.
"AI should help lift productivity by removing unnecessary administration and freeing people to focus on higher-value work," it said.
"National is also backing small businesses to adopt these technologies through initiatives such as AcceleratorNZ and AI-powered business mentoring tools."
The AI-driven shift in workplaces is just one of the many issues discussed in the BusinessNZ report.
Katherine Rich, chief executive of BusinessNZ, said the findings indicate that business wants an environment where they can be confident and certain.
"This year's survey tells us that, above all, business wants confidence that the economy will keep growing, certainty that tax settings won't be pulled out from under them, and follow-through on the infrastructure plans that have been talked about for years," Rich said.
