AI apps (file image).

Analysis: AI has finally entered the election campaign arena

Like a baby taking its first tentative steps, New Zealand's political firmament is finally talking about how to manage the arrival of artificial intelligence.

12:30pm

Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks at the OpenAI DevDay 2026 conference, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San Francisco.

OpenAI unveils 'always-on' AI agent after model shelved over safety risk

The agents, designed to complete ongoing tasks proactively on behalf of users, are a competitor of Meta's personal agent Muse.

Wed, Sep 30

President Donald Trump on stage at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium.

Trump vows to never 'stifle' AI as leading executives urge caution

"I will never stifle the growth of a technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution," Trump said at the unveiling of an AI chatbot, America.gov.

Wed, Sep 30

The OpenAI logo is displayed on a cell phone in front of an image generated by ChatGPT's Dall-E text-to-image model in Boston.

OpenAI delays latest model over security concerns

It's the latest in the company's effort to decelerate the pace of the technology's advance.

Tue, Sep 29

Anthony Albanese made the revelation after a call with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

OpenAI apologises for Aus govt website hack, creates task force

An OpenAI agent breached a Medicare statistics portal in June, but the company did not inform the government until early September.

Tue, Sep 29

A worker passes by robots from Chinese company Lens at the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on Monday, June 22, 2026.

AI doomsday scenarios that researchers say could put humanity at risk

Debates inside the AI industry and beyond over the plausibility of doomsday scenarios have heated up since several executives endorsed slowing the technology's development.

Mon, Sep 28

US President Donald Trump shakes the hand of China's President Xi Jinping.

China and US agree on AI safety channel, continue trade talks

China and the US agreed to establish a channel for handling AI-related incidents and accelerate work on military crisis communications, the two governments said.

Sun, Sep 27

Pope Leo XIV (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron made a joint statement at the Élysée Palace

Pope Leo warns against losing humanity to AI 'paradise of machines'

Pope Leo XIV opened a trip to France by posing fundamental questions about what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence, a nuclear arms race and other threats to life itself.

Sat, Sep 26

Anthony Albanese made the revelation after a call with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Albanese says AI government website hack a 'wake-up call'

The timing of this revelation was "pretty tactical" according to Olivia Shen, a Director at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

Fri, Sep 25

Britain's Prince Harry meets the winner of the Inspirational Young Person 15-18, Rosanna Cornforth-Revill, during the WellChild Awards 2026 in London.

Prince Harry raises alarm over AI chatbots' danger to young users

"The technology is more persuasive, more intimate, and more powerful," the Duke of Sussex said

Thu, Sep 24

Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. File photo.

'Extreme concern': OpenAI agent hacks into Aussie govt website

Anthony Albanese made the revelation following a phone conversation with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman in New York on the sidelines of a UN event.

Thu, Sep 24

There’s now lots of talk about slowing down AI research and increasing “human control” over the technology.

The top five scenarios for how AI could kill us all

There’s no shortage of fantastical scenarios, and most of them involve the concept of “superintelligent” AI – that is, AI that’s more capable than humans.

Thu, Sep 24

AI apps (file image).

US-China tensions complicate hopes for global AI safety deal

AI governance is expected to be on the agenda in a meeting planned for next week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with the topic gaining urgency in both countries.

Tue, Sep 22

Hand putting ballot paper in a box with binary code behind (file image).

First election where many Kiwis use AI to help decide vote – pollster

"This is probably the first election where a significant chunk of Kiwis use AI to tell them how they should vote," a political polling expert says.

Sun, Sep 20

Dozens of countries have set up offices to monitor the fast-moving technology – but New Zealand’s plans remain unclear.

Top labs say AI may soon learn to upgrade itself on its own

The uncertainty over where it all could lead is at the heart of growing fears about AI evading human control and possible threats to humanity.

Sun, Sep 20

A group photo from the second day of the UK Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, in Bletchley, England, on November 2, 2023.

Divisions emerge in tech industry over calls for AI slowdown

Here's a look at what some of the major players have said.

Sun, Sep 20

Rosie, the giant robotic arm behind Hawke's Bay-based food truck Dr Bon Vons, has been attracting curious crowds

Meet the robot serving up chips in less than three minutes

A Hawke's Bay-based food truck operated by a giant robotic arm is offering a glimpse into what the future of New Zealand's takeaway industry could look like.

Fri, Sep 18

The OpenAI cases are the latest in a stream of out-of-control AI developments

OpenAI Chatbot tries to 'free' itself, fueling concern for AI behaviour

OpenAI has disclosed six reports of “unexpected or concerning” activity in artificial-intelligence models as the debate on safety heats up.

Thu, Sep 17

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.

China bristles at Anthropic 'fearmongering' on its AI development

In a lengthy essay, Anthropic's chief executive warned that a “Chinese lead in AI would pose grave danger for the United States and the world”.

Tue, Sep 15

A general view shows the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in New York.

AI stocks slide as slowdown calls and oil push 10-year yield to 5%

AI's biggest supporters are urging caution, and global markets are feeling the impact.

Tue, Sep 15

Artificial intelligence apps (file image).

New warnings about AI risk to humanity revive long-running debate

The chief executive of Anthropic, the San Francisco company behind Claude, said he thought the industry needed to reduce the speed of its work.

Mon, Sep 14

US President Donald Trump smiles after the trophy presentation of the Irish Open at the Trump International Golf Links course in Doonbeg, Ireland.

Trump plays down calls to curb AI, fears ceding ground to China

The US President says the country can't afford to lose the AI race to China, despite growing calls from industry leaders to slow development and tighten safeguards.

Mon, Sep 14

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.

Anthropic boss warns AI industry needs to slow down

The CEO of Anthropic said the artificial-intelligence industry should slow its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up.

Sun, Sep 13

Anthropic created popular AI tool Claude.

Anthropic says it blocked AI that could have made biological weapons

Anthropic said it has prevented efforts by bad actors to use its artificial intelligence models for activities such as cyberattacks, surveillance, and research that could have led to biological weapons.

Fri, Sep 11

Pages from the Anthropic website and the company's logos are displayed on a computer screen in New York.

Anthropic researcher quits with warning over AI's threat to human life

Jacob Coxon warned the race to build ever-more powerful systems is moving faster than the safeguards designed to control them.

Thu, Sep 10