Management consultancies have predicted AI technology will add trillions to global output.
New Zealand is scrambling to stay ahead of the artificial intelligence curve as it loses its early advantage and others ramp up their investments. Academics argue we can’t ever hope to be at the front of a pack led by China and the United States, but they say falling too far behind could mean losing control of key systems in a future where artificial intelligence (AI) will be critical to national prosperity. Nationally and globally AI is being seen as a major growth opportunity. Management consultants at PWC and McKinsey have touted massive numbers around what this technology could add to global GDP – US18 trillion (NZ$25t) by 2030 in PWC’s case and US$13t in McKinsey’s.
“Then after that big lockdown everybody was working from home and no decisions were being made. “The conversations would continue over Zoom, but it’s much harder to get people to sign contracts if you can’t come and meet them face-to-face, so we were really finding that it was really quite hard to get things over the line.” Things started getting back to normal towards the end of last year, but the second lockdown scuppered some of their plans for a recovery.
ROSA WOODS/STUFF
Dean, left, says it was hard to secure contracts with so many people working from home.