New data from small business platform Thryv reveals that while AI adoption among New Zealand SMEs is now mainstream, the majority are still struggling to turn experimentation into real productivity gains.
The 2025 Thryv Business Index and Consumer Report, which surveyed 2,079 small business decision-makers and consumers across New Zealand, shows 57 percent of SMBs are currently using AI or AI-enabled software, and 69 percent say they are comfortable or very comfortable using it to support their operations. Yet 56 percent still lack the meaningful implementation needed to reshape how their business performs.
Rob Hayden, Thryv’s Global Manager of AI Innovation, says New Zealand businesses have reached a critical inflection point, and the gap between uptake and impact is widening.
“Many business owners believe AI requires specialist expertise or advanced technical skills, which continues to slow progress and limit experimentation,” says Hayden.
“At the same time, providing teams with AI tools without context, training or strategy rarely leads to successful outcomes.”
One of the starkest findings is around training. Despite high levels of AI usage, only 13 percent of businesses provide formal AI training to their staff, a gap that Hayden says is creating both a capability problem and a retention risk.
“People need guidance and reassurance before they can confidently use AI,” he says. “Once they understand that AI augments their work rather than replaces it, resistance fades.”
He adds that access to modern tools is increasingly tied to an employer’s ability to hold onto good people. “Many employees are excited about AI tools and if businesses do not provide sufficient opportunities for adoption, they risk losing good people.”
For businesses unsure where to start, Hayden’s advice is to resist overcomplicating it. “AI does not need to be complex to be valuable. The most effective starting point is identifying one repetitive, admin-heavy task and letting AI remove it from the working week.”
Thryv points to tangible results already emerging across New Zealand. Service businesses are using AI to draft personalised content that matches their tone of voice, while teams managing high email volumes are using it to surface priority actions. Others are leaning on AI to maintain online visibility and manage customer reviews during busy periods.
“A process that once required seven touchpoints can often be streamlined to three. Saving even one hour a day compounds quickly into meaningful productivity gains.”
Looking ahead, Hayden says the focus needs to shift from tool adoption to cultural change. “Collaboration is key and adoption should be a shared journey. When teams help shape the solution from the outset, AI becomes a positive disruptor that strengthens the business and delivers success.”
His message to Kiwi business owners is an encouraging one: sophisticated systems aren’t a prerequisite for getting value from AI. “AI works best when it sits inside the tools your business already uses daily. That’s where momentum builds.”
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