Generative AI adopted by nearly two-thirds of digital creators in Aotearoa, research shows
Monday, 23 March 2026
Nearly two-thirds of New Zealand creators who use digital tools are now incorporating generative AI into their process, according to new research, signalling a major shift in how creative work is imagined and produced.
Creators who use AI mostly do so to explore or improve ideas, according to the Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s new New Zealanders’ cultural participation in 2025 report.
But the technology is also used to generate or produce creative work, and to a lesser extent make work more accessible or help share it more widely.
While the ministry regularly leads research to gain insights into the country’s cultural system, its latest report published last week marks the first time questions have been asked about creatives’ use of digital tools.
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Of a surveyed group of 2000 adults in New Zealand, 531 respondents said they’d used digital tools and technology in their creative work in the last 12 months; equating to about seven of every 10 creators.
Of the 531 respondents, 65% said they’d used generative AI as part of their creative process.
Higher rates of use ‒ of both digital tools/technology, and generative AI ‒ were reported by those aged between 18-29, and men.
But digital tools are still seen as irrelevant by some: 269 respondents said they had not used digital tools or technology for their creative work, equating to about three out of every 10 creators.
That group was more likely to consist of those aged over 65.
Reasons for not using digital tools include it not being relevant to their creative process, lacking the technological skills or knowledge, the cost, and concern about intellectual property rights (for example copyright, or ownership of data).
Other findings
The report also found that 88% of New Zealanders visited or attended at least one type of arts, culture, and heritage activity or place in the past year, only slightly up from 2023 levels (87%). Performing arts and festivals show the strongest increases since 2022.
Six out of 10 agree that visiting or attending arts, culture or heritage activities improved their knowledge of such things, their overall wellbeing, and made them prouder of Aotearoa.
Māori have higher levels of involvement across a range of arts, culture, and heritage activities: 93% of surveyed Māori reported attending arts, culture and heritage activities, versus 87% of Pākehā.
Māori are also more likely to be creators, and to consume New Zealand audio, screen, literature and games, versus other ethnic groups.
Four out of 10 New Zealanders said they’d done, created or performed cultural and creative activities in the last year. The most commonly listed activity was craft-based practice, followed by music.
In the three months that led up to the surveying period, more than nine in 10 New Zealanders said they’d listened to local radio, music and podcast, a figure consistent with previous years.
About three quarters of New Zealanders watched local shows or movies, while about four in 10 read local literature or accessed archives. One out of 10 Kiwis played New Zealand games, slightly down on 2023 figures.
Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith said there were opportunities to grow the figures even further.
A bill the Government introduced last week, if passed, would raise the threshold for needing a large-scale event liquor license from 400 to 2000 people.
“Reducing barriers to growth is one of our [cultural] strategy’s key pillars, and we constantly hear that special licenses are costly and often serve as a deterrent to organisers,” Goldsmith said in a statement.
The survey, which was undertaken by Verian over September and October 2025, has a margin of error of +/-2.2%.