On , the Government Chief Digital Officer (GCDO) will host AI Accelerate: Ideas to Impact — a series of panel discussions and showcases on AI.
A 1-day event
AI accelerate is a 1-day forum at the Beehive’s Banquet Hall, to energise and equip the public service to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for productivity and economic growth.
Sponsored by the Minister for Digitising Government, the event will bring together public sector leaders, digital experts and innovators, for a series of panel discussions and showcases. The goal is to move from ideas to action in the use of AI across government.
Panel sessions
The forum will feature 5 panel sessions moderated by senior leaders from across the public service.
- Leadership in the era of AI — moderated by Paul James, with panellists from Ministry of Justice, ACC, Datacom and the Data Iwi Leaders Group.
- AI-driven economic growth — moderated by Phillipa Cameron, with panellists from MBIE, MPI, Creative HQ and Kiwibank.
- Productivity boost with AI — moderated by Christine Stevenson, with panellists from the Social Investment Agency, NZ Tech, AI Forum and Microsoft.
- AI-enhanced customer experience — moderated by Ellen MacGregor-Reid, with panellists from MSD, NZQA, the Privacy Commissioner and AWS.
- Visionary AI in public service — moderated by Carolyn Tremain, with panellists from DIA, the Australian Digital Transformation Agency, IDC and Koi Tū.
The event will also spotlight agency-led AI success stories from across government — Ministry of Health, Inland Revenue and the Treasury.
Ideas to Impact
The event’s theme — ‘Ideas to Impact’ reflects the government’s focus on practical, ethical and impactful AI adoption.
Whaia te māramatanga, kia tika te ara whānui o te ao hangarau — Pursue knowledge so that the broad pathway of the technological world is just.
This guiding whakataukī speaks to the importance of understanding, fairness and values in the digital world.
Published
13 August 2025
