From curious to confident: How Kiwi business owners are adopting AI - Xero Blog

▤ Summary

Xero published research on how New Zealand small and medium businesses view and use AI, finding 45% see AI as a major opportunity and 61% are proactively using AI tools. The study identifies four archetypes — Explorers (44%), Sceptics (26%), Trailblazers (15%), and Pragmatists (15%) — and highlights barriers such as lack of time, concerns about privacy and accuracy, and unclear implementation roadmaps. SMBs want clearer governance, stronger data protections, practical training, vetted tools, and real-world case studies to increase confidence. To help, Xero partnered with ASB and academyEX to offer a fully funded 12-week online AI bootcamp aimed at building practical AI skills for business owners.

▦ Linked Companies

Xero

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