Technology partners Tom Maasland and Kate Cruickshank host this special three-episode series of Tech Suite, marking New Zealand Techweek26. They will explore how the Techweek26 pillars; foundations, growth, and governance are shaping New Zealand's tech ecosystem.
In this opening episode, Tom Maasland is joined by Susana Tomaz, Programme Lead for Day of AI Aotearoa New Zealand and Director of Futures and AI Strategy at Westlake Girls' High School, for a compelling conversation on the foundational role education plays in building New Zealand's AI capability.
[00:30] Tom and Susana reflect on Tech New Zealand’s Tech and Innovation Manifesto 2026 and it’s call to strengthen foundations to unlock future productivity, growth, and high value jobs in the tech sector and how education sits at the very heart of New Zealand’s AI capability and this call to action.
[02:28] Susana shares her learnings from classrooms, school leadership, and global AI initiatives, highlighting that while students are already using AI extensively, adoption without structured capability, ethical grounding, and consistency creates real risks.
[03:56] They discuss how New Zealand compares internationally on AI in education, with Susana explaining why countries like Singapore and Australia are ahead due to planned, strategic, system level frameworks, and how New Zealand risks falling behind without similar governance in place.
[06:47] Susana considers what New Zealand is doing well, including strong engagement from school leaders and encouraging uptake in the Day of AI Aotearoa programme, while also warning that a lack of national governance and support structures could create inequity and an AI divide between educational institutions.
[09:46] Tom talks about the broader innovation ecosystem, linking education to New Zealand tech success stories such as Halter and Rocket Lab. They consider how fear, uncertainty, and inconsistent guidance around AI can stifle creativity, experimentation, and talent retention.
[15:49] The episode closes with Susana outlining some immediate government actions she believes are needed, making the case for adopting foundational AI literacy programmes such as the Day of AI Aotearoa across all NZ schools, while building the governance frameworks required for a consistent and equitable systems approach.
Information in this episode is accurate as at the date of recording, 5 May, 2026.
Please contact Tom Maasland or our Technology team if you need legal advice and guidance on any of the topics discussed in the episode.
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Additional resources
Tech New Zealand Tech & Innovation Manifesto 2026 - Tech New Zealand
