The Ultimate Guide to Generative AI
A curated Kiwi edition of TechDay news, analysis, interviews, reviews, job moves, and related resources for Generative AI (GenAI).
What to know about Generative AI
Generative AI is reshaping the digital landscape by powering advances across industries with its ability to create content, assist decision-making, and automate processes. From enhancing customer experience platforms and streamlining business workflows to transforming healthcare and cybersecurity, generative artificial intelligence is driving innovation and operational efficiency at an unprecedented scale.
Businesses and organisations are increasingly adopting generative AI technologies to harness its potential benefits, while also grappling with challenges such as data privacy, security risks, ethical considerations, and the need for robust governance. As generative AI solutions become core components of enterprise strategies, understanding their capabilities and implications is vital for staying competitive in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
Our stories explore practical deployments, emerging trends, and expert insights on generative AI’s impact across sectors, helping readers navigate its opportunities and challenges. Whether you are interested in the latest AI-driven product innovations, policy developments, or strategies for successful AI integration, this collection offers comprehensive information to keep you informed about the pivotal role of generative AI in transforming businesses and society.
Kiwi Generative AI News
Regional stories with direct local relevance
Young people say AI is eroding trust online, report finds
Generative AI and scams are making many rangatahi doubt what they see online, even as reliable internet remains vital for school, work and services.
It took 20 years to start regulating social media - will AI controls come sooner?
Public pressure for AI guardrails is surging faster than it did for social media, as Australia joins a growing coalition urging action.
The smartest AI will help us use less, not just do more
The technology's next test is whether it can cut energy use and waste as firms face growing pressure to deploy AI more responsibly.
Halter's Clank AI cuts engineering time in farm tech
Farming customers could see faster fixes as the system now handles alert triage and code changes, saving more than 215 engineering hours.
New Zealand firms split on AI as strategy gap widens
Only 15% of New Zealand businesses have an AI strategy, leaving most unable to measure returns or prepare for the next wave of tools.
AI shrinks exploit window to zero days, ESET warns
Businesses have almost no time to patch flaws now, as ESET says the median gap between disclosure and exploitation fell to zero days in 2026.
Analyst Insights
Research and market analysis connected to Generative AI
Exabeam adds AI tools for agentic security operations
AI coding tools shift developers towards review work
Cloudera named leader in Asia Pacific sovereign AI
ABBYY launches FineParser for enterprise AI document parsing
Akto named pioneer in Gartner's AI security quadrant
Featured News
AI attacks demand operational change in the post Mythos era
Only 5% of Australian companies are ready for AI-driven attacks, leaving most exposed as threat actors move at machine speed.
Celonis banking head: Banks want proof before scaling agents
Celonis argues frontier AI models are too generic for regulated banking, urging firms to weigh cost, risk and process gains before scaling deployments.
Interview: Cloudera says AI agents reshape zero trust
Enterprises must update identity controls as software agents generate more requests and need tightly time-limited access to sensitive systems.
Interview: Cloudera says open-ended AI spending is over
Enterprises are now demanding proof of value and tighter controls as AI budgets face scrutiny over compute costs and deployment choices.
Exclusive: ABBYY says AI build costs will drive buying
Enterprises could cut AI spend by up to 80% by shifting document workflows away from custom builds and into standard platforms.
Exclusive: ABBYY brings zero-shot document AI to Vantage
Enterprises can now extract data from unseen document types without templates, as ABBYY rolls out zero-shot capabilities in Vantage.
Exclusive: ABBYY launches hybrid AI document models
Enterprises under pressure to curb AI risk and cost are being given a hybrid option that blends generative models with OCR and rules-based extraction.
Why businesses need more than technology to scale AI
Only 19 per cent of enterprise AI use cases hit most or all goals, as Infosys urges firms to pair technology with data, training and governance.
Interview: Cloudera bets on hybrid AI growth in JAPAC
Banks and large enterprises in Asia-Pacific are rethinking cloud-first AI plans as costs, sovereignty and regulation favour hybrid deployments.
Genetec: Open platforms key as physical security evolves
Businesses are prioritising hybrid, open security systems to protect existing hardware investments while adopting cloud and AI tools more gradually.
AI transforms CX to go beyond the chatbot
Consumers now expect faster, more automated support as AI agents handle complex customer journeys, though many firms still struggle to prove ROI.
Jamf launches AI Governance to enhance visibility, security
IT teams can now track AI models on Apple fleets to curb data leaks and token spend as businesses wrestle with shadow AI.
Cvent says event success lies in genuine human interaction
Hybrid formats are helping organisers broaden reach without losing the in-room relationships that still drive trust, leads and donations.
AI will fade, says Dell Technologies' ephemeral Chief AI Officer
Dell says agentic AI should shift routine tasks below the machine line, freeing staff for expert work while making the role temporary.
Pead: AI search transition reshaping corporate reputation
AI-generated answers are already shaping public perceptions, forcing firms to manage reputation across trusted third-party sources instead of search rankings.
SAS Innovate: New era of scams requires novel solutions
Australians are losing billions as AI-driven fraud pushes banks, telcos and platforms to share scam data faster and stop payments earlier.
Meet the man behind the Saas-Pocalypse: Emergent's Mukund Jha
The new cash will help Emergent broaden from coding tools into an operating system for small and medium businesses as demand surges.
SonicWall boosts endpoint security for SMBs and mid-market
SMBs and mid-market firms facing AI-driven attacks are set for tighter device controls as SonicWall prepares a new endpoint security product.
Resilience over prevention as AI reshapes security landscape
Rising ransomware speed is pushing ANZ firms to increase spending on recovery strategies as AI gives attackers new ways in.
Check Point: Be the best, or get out the way
Rising AI-driven attacks are compel security buyers to cut vendor sprawl, though Check Point warns over-consolidation can still raise risk.
Expert Columns
AI in Retail is Only as Good as its Data Foundation
AI will cost some jobs. Poor change management will cost more
Why AI-Written Phishing Is Outpacing the Native Filters Built to Stop It
Fluent is not factual: Why AI needs verified data in APAC
Three technology myths CIOs should stop believing
The next eCommerce interface may not be a screen
Some AI risks more subtle than others
The smartest AI will help us use less, not just do more
The Next E-commerce Interface May Not Be a Screen
What should replace the resume in an AI-first hiring process?
Interviews
Interviews and video coverage from the networkRecent Generative AI News
Balyasny deploys Gemini across internal research platforms
The hedge fund's analysts are getting faster access to market signals as Gemini scans transcripts, filings and data inside private systems.
Check Point warns of 48% rise in cyber attacks worldwide
Sensitive data exposure through workplace AI is compounding a 48% annual rise in attacks, with organisations hit by 2,803 per week in September.
EY revenue hits USD $57 billion as AI demand surges
AI-related work helped push EY's annual revenue to USD $57 billion, with clients shifting from trials to wider business use.
Microsoft revamps Copilot with Home, Code & Autopilot
The overhaul aims to cut app switching and let businesses govern AI spend as Microsoft folds chat, coding and Office tools into one interface.
Adobe adds Claude Motion hand-off to Firefly Video Editor
The new hand-off lets animators move short Claude Motion clips into Adobe's editor for timing, audio and colour tweaks, plus extra footage.
Stakk completes USD $63 million ParaScript acquisition
The enlarged group now serves more than 300 enterprise customers and processes over 110 billion digital interactions a year across four regions.
Sapiens launches AI foundation for insurance platforms
It is designed to curb hallucinations and model drift by grounding insurer workflows in decades of sector-specific data, code and documentation.
Microdramas are booming. AI could make it even harder to stop binge‑watching
Their rapid rise is prompting concerns that AI-made episodes and algorithmic recommendations will make microdramas even harder to stop watching.
Agoda promotes Kris Suebjaklap to Senior Vice President and Global Marketing Chief
The promotion hands a decade-long Agoda veteran control of brand and performance marketing as the travel platform leans further into AI and local campaigns.
Turnitin says Clarity cuts AI-written student work
Australian and New Zealand students using Turnitin's monitored writing platform were about 40% less likely to submit work flagged as mostly AI-generated.
OutSystems opens Agent Experience to third-party AI agents
Large firms in regulated sectors can now use third-party AI coding agents inside OutSystems while retaining governance, auditability and deployment control.
Avanade urges firms to use AI to remake business models
Most firms are still using AI for efficiency, but Avanade says only 17% have redesigned their operating model around it.
Euromonitor adds Passport Connect to AI assistants
The move could let clients blend Euromonitor research with their own data inside AI tools, speeding decisions and widening use beyond the portal.
Abnormal AI expands security suite with five products
The expansion gives security teams clearer oversight of staff and autonomous agents as businesses rush to embed generative AI in daily work.
Log-hub chief sees AI widening supply chain analysis
Better access to complex planning tools could let more firms test supply chain scenarios as AI strips away specialist software hurdles.
RiskProfiler launches MCP connector for AI threat hunts
Security teams could speed up external threat investigations as RiskProfiler's new connector lets authorised users query its platform through AI assistants.
Infor says Australian firms lead Asia-Pacific AI adoption
Australian enterprises have emerged as the region's most mature AI users, with 42% already at full-scale deployment, according to Infor research.
New Relic launches AI Evaluation for production safety
The tool aims to help engineers catch unsafe or inaccurate AI outputs before they reach customers, as firms push generative systems into production.
Gurucul launches AI risk & response for enterprises
The new tool lets security teams spot shadow AI use and risky autonomous agents before they expose sensitive data or critical systems.
Vicarius launches ScriptAI for faster vulnerability fixes
Security teams could cut vulnerability repair times to under an hour as Vicarius adds AI-generated scripts to its vRx platform.
Job Moves
Inde appoints Nish Sudhakaran as AI & data director
Spectrum Consulting names Darryl van Rensburg for AI drive
Paul Littlefair appointed Chair to lead TUANZ strategic future
Deane Jessep joins StreamGenius AI as new Chief Operating Officer
