With the 2023 general election just days away we have one last episode around tech and politics, this time looking at the fear that concerted and bad-faith social media campaigns are eroding the very fabric of democracy.

We're joined by Ximena Smith from the public interest think tank Brainbox Institute who digs into whether the outcome of democratic elections are really being swung by social media and all its algorithms.

We also dig into some of the latest news, including the National Party's space policy, agritech robots, and how AI is failing to live up to its promise.

Reading list

With the 2023 general election just days away we have one last episode around tech and politics, this time looking at the fear that concerted and bad-faith social media campaigns are eroding the very fabric of democracy.
We're joined by Ximena Smith from the public interest think tank Brainbox Institute who digs into whether the outcome of democratic elections are really being swung by social media and all its algorithms.
We also dig into some of the latest news, including the National Party's space policy, agritech robots, and how AI is failing to live up to its promise.
<a href="https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/technology/business-of-tech-podcast-are-algorithms-really-ruining-democracy">Reading list</a>

The Business of Tech, hosted by leading tech journalist Peter Griffin. Every week they take a deep dive into emerging technology and news from the sector to help guide the important decisions all Business leaders make.

Issues such as cybersecurity, retaining trust after a cyberattack, business IT needs, purchasing SaaS tools and more.

New Episodes out every Thursday. Follow or subscribe to get it delivered straight to your favourite podcatcher.

@petergnz

@businessdesk_nz

Proudly sponsored by 2degrees Business!

 

The Business of Tech, hosted by leading tech journalist Peter Griffin. Every week they take a deep dive into emerging technology and news from the sector to help guide the important decisions all Business leaders make.
Issues such as cybersecurity, retaining trust after a cyberattack, business IT needs, purchasing SaaS tools and more.
New Episodes out every Thursday. Follow or subscribe to get it delivered straight to your favourite podcatcher.
@petergnz
@businessdesk_nz
Proudly sponsored by 2degrees Business!
&nbsp;

The Business of Tech

Are algorithms really ruining democracy?

The Opportunity Party is attracting growing support from young tech professionals, scientists, and startup founders, demanding bolder, more evidence‑based leadership.

That’s according to Opportunity party leader Qiulae Wong, the businesswoman, climate leader and mother who will lead the party into the election in a bid to crest the 5% popular vote threshold needed to see the party in a position to support a coalition government.

On this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, I sit down with Wong to discuss her party’s plan to lift New Zealand out of its low‑productivity rut by putting innovation at the centre of economic policy. 

You’ll hear how the Opportunity Party wants to double R&D investment from around 1.5% of GDP to 3% – finally putting us in the same league as other advanced economies – and pair that with much stronger support for commercialisation so ideas don’t just die in the lab. 

We also dig into how greater competition in highly concentrated sectors like supermarkets, banking and energy could free up capital and lower barriers for new, tech‑driven challengers.

Gold standard AI rules

A big focus of the episode is artificial intelligence and the weightless tech economy. Wong explains why New Zealand needs “gold standard” AI rules that are tight on outcomes but open for innovation, so founders can build globally competitive AI products here rather than in London or San Francisco. We talk skills, education, and the critical thinking needed to make sure AI boosts productivity instead of hollowing out jobs.

We also unpack how the Opportunity Party plans to pay for its policy agenda. Its newly released tax policy includes a 1.75% land value tax, a universal citizens’ income and compulsory “KiwiSaver 2.0” savings. Qiulae argues this package is designed to shift money out of speculative property and into productive investment, while helping fund a serious uplift in R&D and a faster clean‑energy transition. 

Rounding out the episode, we explore a 25‑year energy strategy, ways to bring Kiwi tech talent home, and how citizens’ assemblies and digital voting could revitalise our democracy for a generation that lives online.

Has Opportunity got a chance? Recent polls have the party hovering around 3% of the popular vote, shy of the level needed to get its candidates into Parliament. But these are unprecedented times, with younger voters in particular looking for bold leadership. The momentum may be on this minor party’s side.

Listen to the full conversation with Qiulae Wong on this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, streaming on iHeartRadio, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Opportunity Party is attracting growing support from young tech professionals, scientists, and startup founders, demanding bolder, more evidence‑based leadership.
That&rsquo;s according to Opportunity party leader Qiulae Wong, the businesswoman, climate leader and mother who will lead the party into the election in a bid to crest the 5% popular vote threshold needed to see the party in a position to support a coalition government.
On this week&rsquo;s episode of The Business of Tech, I sit down with Wong to discuss her party&rsquo;s plan to lift New Zealand out of its low‑productivity rut by putting innovation at the centre of economic policy.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll hear how the Opportunity Party wants to double R&amp;D investment from around 1.5% of GDP to 3% &ndash; finally putting us in the same league as other advanced economies &ndash; and pair that with much stronger support for commercialisation so ideas don&rsquo;t just die in the lab.&nbsp;
We also dig into how greater competition in highly concentrated sectors like supermarkets, banking and energy could free up capital and lower barriers for new, tech‑driven challengers.
Gold standard AI rules
A big focus of the episode is artificial intelligence and the weightless tech economy. Wong explains why New Zealand needs &ldquo;gold standard&rdquo; AI rules that are tight on outcomes but open for innovation, so founders can build globally competitive AI products here rather than in London or San Francisco. We talk skills, education, and the critical thinking needed to make sure AI boosts productivity instead of hollowing out jobs.
We also unpack how the Opportunity Party plans to pay for its policy agenda. Its newly released tax policy includes a 1.75% land value tax, a universal citizens&rsquo; income and compulsory &ldquo;KiwiSaver 2.0&rdquo; savings. Qiulae argues this package is designed to shift money out of speculative property and into productive investment, while helping fund a serious uplift in R&amp;D and a faster clean‑energy transition.&nbsp;
Rounding out the episode, we explore a 25‑year energy strategy, ways to bring Kiwi tech talent home, and how citizens&rsquo; assemblies and digital voting could revitalise our democracy for a generation that lives online.
Has Opportunity got a chance? Recent polls have the party hovering around 3% of the popular vote, shy of the level needed to get its candidates into Parliament. But these are unprecedented times, with younger voters in particular looking for bold leadership. The momentum may be on this minor party&rsquo;s side.
Listen to the full conversation with Qiulae Wong on this week&rsquo;s episode of The Business of Tech, streaming on iHeartRadio, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Power play: Qiulae Wong on R&D, AI, hi-tech skills and tax

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/3a003766-fc6a-430e-a3a3-b448002e252d/transcript

Market research has long been a privilege of the big end of town. Got $50,000 and six weeks to spare? Great, you can know what your customers think. Everyone else? Good luck.

That model is being dismantled, and a New Zealand startup is doing some of the dismantling. In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, I sat down with James Donald, CEO of Auckland-based Ideally, fresh from closing a $16 million Series A that values the company at $100 million. 

Ideally is one of three AI-centric New Zealand startups to hit that psychological valuation milestone in the past month – a sign that our fledgling AI start-up ecosystem is gaining momentum.

James is a former Shell engineer turned serial founder whose previous company, Yonder, was acquired by a US travel tech firm. Now he's turned his sights on a $40 billion slice of the global market research industry – one where 90% of spend still flows to people-heavy agencies like Kantar and Nielsen. 

His pitch: AI can do what took those agencies weeks to do, in hours, at a fraction of the cost, and with results in the hands of the people inside a company who actually know what questions to ask.

The pros and cons of synthetic data

In our chat, we get into the heart of what Ideally is doing differently. One of the most interesting debates in AI right now is the rise of synthetic data – building artificial personas to simulate how real people would respond. James makes a pointed argument: when the stakes are high, and you need genuine nuance, synthetic just isn't good enough. 

We also dig into what James calls "living data" – the idea that consumer insight shouldn't die in a PDF buried in SharePoint, but should be a continuously growing, queryable understanding of your customer base. 

And we talk about the SaaSpocalypse – that February moment when hundreds of billions were wiped off the value of software companies worldwide. Ideally sits squarely in that story: an AI-native challenger gunning for the market share of legacy research platforms and expensive agencies alike, with a usage-based pricing model designed to turn in-house marketers into researchers, rather than leave it to outside consultants.

This is a great example of how AI is being used to shake up long-established industries.

The Business of Tech is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Market research has long been a privilege of the big end of town. Got $50,000 and six weeks to spare? Great, you can know what your customers think. Everyone else? Good luck.
That model is being dismantled, and a New Zealand startup is doing some of the dismantling. In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, I sat down with James Donald, CEO of Auckland-based Ideally, fresh from <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/we-couldnt-have-done-it-without-ai-ideally-raises-6m/G3UGK3SVYRED3AQY2VHRBQZLJQ/">closing a $16 million Series A</a> that values the company at $100 million.&nbsp;
Ideally is one of three AI-centric New Zealand startups to hit that psychological valuation milestone in the past month &ndash; a sign that our fledgling AI start-up ecosystem is gaining momentum.
James is a former Shell engineer turned serial founder whose previous company, Yonder, was acquired by a US travel tech firm. Now he's turned his sights on a $40 billion slice of the global market research industry &ndash; one where 90% of spend still flows to people-heavy agencies like Kantar and Nielsen.&nbsp;
His pitch: AI can do what took those agencies weeks to do, in hours, at a fraction of the cost, and with results in the hands of the people inside a company who actually know what questions to ask.
The pros and cons of synthetic data
In our chat, we get into the heart of what Ideally is doing differently. One of the most interesting debates in AI right now is the rise of synthetic data &ndash; building artificial personas to simulate how real people would respond. James makes a pointed argument: when the stakes are high, and you need genuine nuance, synthetic just isn't good enough.&nbsp;
We also dig into what James calls "living data" &ndash; the idea that consumer insight shouldn't die in a PDF buried in SharePoint, but should be a continuously growing, queryable understanding of your customer base.&nbsp;
And we talk about the SaaSpocalypse &ndash; that February moment when hundreds of billions were wiped off the value of software companies worldwide. Ideally sits squarely in that story: an AI-native challenger gunning for the market share of legacy research platforms and expensive agencies alike, with a usage-based pricing model designed to turn in-house marketers into researchers, rather than leave it to outside consultants.
This is a great example of how AI is being used to shake up long-established industries.
The Business of Tech is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

The Business of Tech: AI is eating market research

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/3ad4ad3a-c1fa-462b-9c4a-b441016d7926/transcript

New Zealand is quietly dismantling the productive base that built its prosperity – and we’re doing it without anything resembling a plan.

Over the past decade, the country has shed around 20,000 manufacturing jobs while the sector’s share of GDP has steadily eroded. Factories producing everything from pulp and paper to frozen foods and wood products have scaled back or shut down entirely, including household names such as Wattie’s and McCain. 

For regional centres like Westport and Kaitāia, each closure is an economic shock that ripples through the whole community. The blow would be blunted somewhat if we had a plan B to revive manufacturing and offer employment prospects in the regions. But we don’t.

Some economists and industry leaders now openly talk about the “deindustrialisation” of New Zealand. Manufacturing is responsible for roughly 60% of our exports and employs close to one in ten workers, yet it has slipped down the priority list in Wellington. 

Other countries – Australia, Singapore, the UK and the US among them – have modern industrial strategies and long-term Industry 4.0 programmes. New Zealand, by contrast, shelved its industry transformation plans and has yet to articulate what kind of manufacturing base it wants to have in 10 or 20 years.

Energy costs sit at the heart of the problem. For many manufacturers, electricity and gas now rank among their top 2 - 3 operating costs. The rapid push to electrify process heat, combined with volatile spot prices and an uncertain gas transition, has left some plants badly exposed. At the same time, manufacturers face chronic skills shortages, conservative lenders demanding personal guarantees for capital upgrades, and resource consent processes that add cost and delay to even straightforward investments.

In the latest episode of The Business of Tech podcast, I’m joined by Christchurch-based manufacturing expert Sean Doherty to delve into what’s gone wrong – and what can still be salvaged. 

Beyond plug-in AI fixes

After a 30‑year career that includes a long stint at Rockwell Automation and leading the advanced manufacturing programme at Callaghan Innovation, Doherty has had a front‑row seat to thousands of technology and productivity projects. He’s blunt about the structural issues and the policy vacuum, but he also insists manufacturers are not powerless.

Rather than chasing silver bullets or “plug‑in AI” fixes, Doherty argues for a disciplined focus on small, practical productivity and efficiency initiatives: getting real‑time data off the factory floor, tightening basic management practices, and investing in people alongside machines. 

In a tough, high-cost environment, those incremental gains can spell the difference between slow decline and a credible growth story you can take to the bank – and, collectively, between a country that drifts into deindustrialisation and one that chooses to rebuild its industrial backbone.

Listen to the entire episode of The Business of Tech, streaming on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Show notes

Factories in retreat: inside NZ’s deindustrialisation crisis - The Post

Sean Doherty on LinkedIn

Aotearoa’s Industry 4.0 Journey - Callaghan Innovation report

New Zealand is quietly dismantling the productive base that built its prosperity &ndash; and we&rsquo;re doing it without anything resembling a plan.
Over the past decade, the country has shed around 20,000 manufacturing jobs while the sector&rsquo;s share of GDP has steadily eroded. Factories producing everything from pulp and paper to frozen foods and wood products have scaled back or shut down entirely, including household names such as Wattie&rsquo;s and McCain.&nbsp;
For regional centres like Westport and Kaitāia, each closure is an economic shock that ripples through the whole community. The blow would be blunted somewhat if we had a plan B to revive manufacturing and offer employment prospects in the regions. But we don&rsquo;t.
Some economists and industry leaders now openly talk about the &ldquo;deindustrialisation&rdquo; of New Zealand. Manufacturing is responsible for roughly 60% of our exports and employs close to one in ten workers, yet it has slipped down the priority list in Wellington.&nbsp;
Other countries &ndash; Australia, Singapore, the UK and the US among them &ndash; have modern industrial strategies and long-term Industry 4.0 programmes. New Zealand, by contrast, shelved its industry transformation plans and has yet to articulate what kind of manufacturing base it wants to have in 10 or 20 years.
Energy costs sit at the heart of the problem. For many manufacturers, electricity and gas now rank among their top 2 - 3 operating costs. The rapid push to electrify process heat, combined with volatile spot prices and an uncertain gas transition, has left some plants badly exposed. At the same time, manufacturers face chronic skills shortages, conservative lenders demanding personal guarantees for capital upgrades, and resource consent processes that add cost and delay to even straightforward investments.
In the latest episode of The Business of Tech podcast, I&rsquo;m joined by Christchurch-based manufacturing expert Sean Doherty to delve into what&rsquo;s gone wrong &ndash; and what can still be salvaged.&nbsp;
Beyond plug-in AI fixes
After a 30‑year career that includes a long stint at Rockwell Automation and leading the advanced manufacturing programme at Callaghan Innovation, Doherty has had a front‑row seat to thousands of technology and productivity projects. He&rsquo;s blunt about the structural issues and the policy vacuum, but he also insists manufacturers are not powerless.
Rather than chasing silver bullets or &ldquo;plug‑in AI&rdquo; fixes, Doherty argues for a disciplined focus on small, practical productivity and efficiency initiatives: getting real‑time data off the factory floor, tightening basic management practices, and investing in people alongside machines.&nbsp;
In a tough, high-cost environment, those incremental gains can spell the difference between slow decline and a credible growth story you can take to the bank &ndash; and, collectively, between a country that drifts into deindustrialisation and one that chooses to rebuild its industrial backbone.
Listen to the entire episode of The Business of Tech, streaming on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show notes
<a href="https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/350150300/manufacturers-will-you-embrace-ai-or-be-one-falls-behind">Factories in retreat: inside NZ&rsquo;s deindustrialisation crisis</a> - The Post
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/seandohertynz/?skipRedirect=true">Sean Doherty on LinkedIn</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7265061377659019265/">Aotearoa&rsquo;s Industry 4.0 Journey</a> - Callaghan Innovation report

Factories in retreat: inside NZ’s deindustrialisation crisis

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/c46c2539-dbc3-468f-bcc8-b43a000c66ca/transcript

Are algorithms really ruining democracy?

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