Every week there's another headline about AI. For most New Zealand business owners the real question is simpler: is anyone like me actually using it, and is it worth it? The 2026 research gives a fairly clear answer.
How many Kiwi businesses use AI?
It depends on who's counting. MYOB's August 2026 Business Monitor found 36% of New Zealand SMEs are proactively using AI, up from 32% a year earlier (IT Brief). Xero's research earlier in the year put the number higher, at 61%, but Xero itself says much of that use is surface level, like asking ChatGPT to tidy an email (Xero).
The gap that matters is size. MYOB found 30% of businesses with one to five staff use AI, compared with 64% of businesses with 20 or more. The smallest businesses, the ones with the least time to spare, are the furthest behind.
Does it make a difference?
Early numbers say yes. A 2degrees and Deloitte Access Economics study estimated the average SME using AI earned around $400,000 more in FY25 than a similar business that wasn't (2degrees). That's an early estimate, and bigger businesses pull the average up, but the direction is clear.
It also isn't about awareness any more. MBIE's research found 94% of SMEs know about at least one AI tool (MBIE). People know AI exists. What stops them is not knowing where to start, and worries about privacy and data.
Three places a small business should start
1. Answering the phone
If you're a tradie, a salon or a clinic, the calls you miss while you're busy are jobs going to someone else. An AI receptionist answers every call, books the job into your calendar and texts you a summary. It's the quickest payback we see.
2. Quotes, invoices and follow-ups
Chasing an unpaid invoice or reminding someone about a quote is the kind of repetitive job automation does well. Most of it can run on tools you already pay for, like Xero, Gmail and your booking system.
3. Being found online
Google now answers many searches with an AI Overview at the top of the page. Those answers are built from websites and Google Business Profiles. If you don't have a proper website, the AI has nothing to say about you.
What about privacy?
It's the right question. Under the Privacy Act 2020, you need to tell people if their call or details are being recorded and stored, and keep that data safe. Ask any AI provider where your data is stored, who can see it and how to delete it. If they can't answer simply, walk away.
The short version
Most small Kiwi businesses still aren't really using AI, and the ones that are getting ahead. You don't need a big project. Pick the one job that eats your week, usually the phone, and start there.