New Zealand Tech Leaders Warn of Squandered Digital Potential and Equity Gaps

Craig Young warned that New Zealand risks squandering its digital and economic potential if political leaders frequently reset the nation's technological direction. Haley Mortimer highlighted significant equity gaps, noting that about one in ten households lacks internet access. Digital services in the country contributed approximately $17 billion in annual exports.

The nation's digital outlook is constrained by fragmented political cycles, despite the potential for digital services to generate $76 billion through technologies like artificial intelligence. Furthermore, 35 percent of small businesses suffer from insufficient cyber resilience, and New Zealand is losing $200 million annually to online scams.