New Zealanders concerned about AI harm and impact on society, new research shows
As the use of AI increases, so does concern about its impact on society, according to new research from InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa.
The 2025 Internet Insights report shows that four out of five New Zealanders have used artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the last year and we are increasingly confident that we understand it.
But more than half of people surveyed (52 percent) say they are extremely or very concerned about AI's impact on society.
InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa chief executive Vivien Maidaborn says the findings likely reflect the pace at which AI has grown in the last few years.
"In a very short time, we've gone from most people having a very limited understanding of what AI is and what it can do, to it being in use every day in almost every household," says Maidaborn.
The research shows most people using AI are doing so via search engines and chatbots, usually for asking questions or getting information' (62 percent cited this as their top use of AI). Nearly a third mostly use it for help to write (32 percent), and slightly less largely for work tasks (27 percent).
Despite its apparent usefulness, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of those surveyed said they were 'extremely or very concerned' about AI being used to produce harmful content, such as deepfakes, and being used for malicious purposes (65 percent).
"There are some really valid concerns here about AI," says Maidaborn. "New technologies offer a lot of exciting and useful opportunities, but we haven't yet laid the groundwork to ensure AI use is not exacerbating harmful use of the Internet. AI right now is a bit like a train that's left the station before the tracks have been built."
Sixty-four percent of survey respondents said they were extremely or very concerned that there was insufficient regulation and law regarding the development of AI. They also held concerns about potential violations of privacy, perpetuation of bias and discrimination and misuse of intellectual property.
"As a country we need to continually look at our approaches to emerging technologies, like AI, to support safe and effective use," says Maidaborn.
"We think decisions around AI governance should be informed by conversations with and input from a wide range of groups affected, and also be aligned with international best practice."
AI-related statistics from Internet Insights 2025
- 79 percent have used AI in the last 12 months
- 58 percent use AI at least weekly
- 31 percent feel they know a lot or a fair amount about AI, up 6 percentage points on 2024's survey
- 47 percent of those who feel they know about AI are more concerned than excited about it
- 52 percent are extremely or very concerned about AI's impact on society, another 30 percent are a little bit concerned
- The top five concerns about AI are: Use of it to produce harmful content (68 percent of people concerned), use for malicious purposes (65 percent), insufficient regulation and law regarding development of AI (64 percent), producing inaccurate information (61 percent) and violation of privacy concerns (58 percent).
About the research
Internet Insights is an annual research report commissioned by InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa. The 2025 research was carried out by Verian, with interviews conducted between November 25 and December 8, 2025.
The sample size was 1003 and consisted of New Zealanders over the age of 18 sourced using online consumer panels. Results have a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
The research covers a range of topics, including Internet use, social media use, and Internet-related concerns.
If you would like a copy of the full report before the embargo please contact us.
Previous research reports can be found on the InternetNZ website.