It’s been a blockbuster week for New Zealand’s AI scene. Microsoft dropped a new report suggesting our economy could benefit to the tune of $76 billion a year by 2038 if we embrace generative AI at pace. 

Wellington software performance company Raygun last night launched Autohive, a spinoff business that has built infrastructure allowing small and medium-sized businesses to develop their own AI agents easily.

In this second edition of our Loneliness series we explore the role of AI in helping to bridge isolation and loneliness challenges.

The narrative from tech companies that AI will mainly augment jobs is looking increasingly hollow as evidence grows that the case for implementing AI largely rests on cutting labour costs.

Loneliness is no longer a silent epidemic — but have we made meaningful progress? This post revisits the global and local conversation, from UK policy shifts to new research here in Aotearoa - and the role digital technology plays in this space.