On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025, The government’s ordered an independent review over what happened at Wellington Water’s Moa Point, Mayor Andrew Little tells Ryan what he hopes will come out of it.

A new report shows business conferences contributed nearly $1 billion to the kiwi economy last year, Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard shares her thoughts. 

Contact Energy posted a half year net profit increase of 44% to $205 million, Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander provides analysis. 

Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the alleged Bondi terror gunman’s first court appearance and a major supermarket chain accused of misleading customers, faces court action.

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.          

LISTEN ABOVE  

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025, The government’s ordered an independent review over what happened at Wellington Water’s Moa Point, Mayor Andrew Little tells Ryan what he hopes will come out of it.
A new report shows business conferences contributed nearly $1 billion to the kiwi economy last year, Business NZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard shares her thoughts.&nbsp;
Contact Energy posted a half year net profit increase of 44% to $205 million, Shareholders Association CEO Oliver Mander provides analysis.&nbsp;
Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on the alleged Bondi terror gunman’s first court appearance and a major supermarket chain accused of misleading customers, faces court action.
Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Full Show Podcast: 17 February 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/bb2e6001-859b-42e0-bacf-b3f3011a8738/transcript

The US appears to be re-engaging with the Pacific as it invests in Cook Islands infrastructure.

New Zealand's pledged to co-invest with the US to build a port on the Penrhyn atoll in the Cooks, a former military base.

China had been interested in seabed mining in the area.

Otago University International Relations expert Robert Patman told Ryan Bridge the Trump administration hasn't shown a lot of interest in the Pacific until now.

He says what it is interested in is combatting China, so this is an incentive for them to get back to being much more active in the region.

PM Christopher Luxon is travelling to Palau for the Pacific Islands Forum today.

LISTEN ABOVE

The US appears to be re-engaging with the Pacific as it invests in Cook Islands infrastructure.
New Zealand's pledged to co-invest with the US to build a port on the Penrhyn atoll in the Cooks, a former military base.
China had been interested in seabed mining in the area.
Otago University International Relations expert Robert Patman told Ryan Bridge the Trump administration hasn't shown a lot of interest in the Pacific until now.
He says what it is interested in is combatting China, so this is an incentive for them to get back to being much more active in the region.
PM Christopher Luxon is travelling to Palau for the Pacific Islands Forum today.
LISTEN ABOVE

Robert Patman: Otago University International Relations expert on the US re-engaging with the Pacific

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/02024133-63b3-4a10-b4fa-b4b8012bac7c/transcript

IP lawyers will be licking their lips with all these AI cases landing on their desks. 

The latest, we spoke about yesterday, was Sony and Warner going after Anthropic. 

Their argument is basically that Anthropic's AI models, the ones we use to get answers to questions, scrape and bottom trawl the internet for information. 

That information, including song lyrics, is often IP owned and produced by humans or companies. 

So, scraping it and using it to sell as a product is theft. 

Media companies in New Zealand take a similar view. 

If the robot is scraping content produced, at cost, by a news business, then how is that not also theft?

But if you think about it, humans do this all the time. I do it every day. It's actually what I'm paid to do. 

I ingest large amounts of information and then use it to inform interviews and content. 

Lawyers do it for legal cases. Politicians do it. Businesses do it. We all do it in one way or another. 

And we all use the information the internet provides for our own purposes. Usually, to make money. 

Knowledge is power and content is king. 

So, the question then becomes, what is the difference between us doing this and using this information and an AI model doing the same?

Surely Claude is committing no greater crime than the rest of us. 

Of course, how they get their hands on the information is key. 

If you're ripping it off bit torrent, then you might have other problems. But if you're getting it from a paid subscription, isn't that what we do? 

In the news business you credit your sources. But not always. There's a point where the collective weight of the information you've consumed becomes your own thoughts and your own IP. 

Are robots any different? 

IP lawyers will be licking their lips with all these AI cases landing on their desks.&nbsp;
The latest, we spoke about yesterday, was Sony and Warner going after Anthropic.&nbsp;
Their argument is basically that Anthropic's AI models, the ones we use to get answers to questions, scrape and bottom trawl the internet for information.&nbsp;
That information, including song lyrics, is often IP owned and produced by humans or companies.&nbsp;
So, scraping it and using it to sell as a product is theft.&nbsp;
Media companies in New Zealand take a similar view.&nbsp;
If the robot is scraping content produced, at cost, by a news business, then how is that not also theft?
But if you think about it, humans do this all the time. I do it every day. It's actually what I'm paid to do.&nbsp;
I ingest large amounts of information and then use it to inform interviews and content.&nbsp;
Lawyers do it for legal cases. Politicians do it. Businesses do it. We all do it in one way or another.&nbsp;
And we all use the information the internet provides for our own purposes. Usually, to make money.&nbsp;
Knowledge is power and content is king.&nbsp;
So, the question then becomes, what is the difference between us doing this and using this information and an AI model doing the same?
Surely Claude is committing no greater crime than the rest of us.&nbsp;
Of course, how they get their hands on the information is key.&nbsp;
If you're ripping it off bit torrent, then you might have other problems. But if you're getting it from a paid subscription, isn't that what we do?&nbsp;
In the news business you credit your sources. But not always. There's a point where the collective weight of the information you've consumed becomes your own thoughts and your own IP.&nbsp;
Are robots any different?&nbsp;

Ryan Bridge: Is this really AI theft?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/49c866af-b897-4f58-a6a3-b4b8012ac1f8/transcript

The Government's being criticised for giving the country the run-around with next year's fuel tax.  

It's cancelled the 12 cent per litre hike and equivalent lift to road user charges that were set to take effect in January.  

The next rise of five cents a litre now kicks in from January 2028.  

AA Fuel Spokesperson Terry Collins told Ryan Bridge the Land Transport Fund has been under stress because it's unable to get enough money to do the work that's needed. 

He says any time there's funding uncertainty or money is removed from it, it adds to the problem, kicking it down the road and making it bigger in the future. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

The Government's being criticised for giving the country the run-around with next year's fuel tax. &nbsp;
It's cancelled the 12 cent per litre hike and equivalent lift to road user charges that were set to take effect in January. &nbsp;
The next rise of five cents a litre now kicks in from January 2028. &nbsp;
AA Fuel Spokesperson Terry Collins told Ryan Bridge the Land Transport Fund has been under stress because it's unable to get enough money to do the work that's needed.&nbsp;
He says any time there's funding uncertainty or money is removed from it, it adds to the problem, kicking it down the road and making it bigger in the future.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE &nbsp;

Terry Collins: AA Fuel Spokesperson on the Government pushing back and reducing the fuel tax hike

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6776ef30-d84f-499e-b9dd-b4b701828f20/transcript

Full Show Podcast: 17 February 2026

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