Making AI Your Business' Superpower: How One NZ Is Rewiring Work, Products, and Customer Service
Many organizations are looking at how to use the AI shift, and One New Zealand has decided to become an "AI-first" telco. This means changing how the company works and speeding up product development to better serve its customers.
At a company-wide showcase, staff learned how AI is being scaled across the business. It's being applied everywhere from customer service and network operations to marketing and software development, all to create a more seamless customer experience.
AI-First, Human Where It Matters
Over 30 AI agents that automate processes are already active across One NZ, with dozens more in development. The goal is a five-dollar return for every dollar invested in the technology, according to CEO Jason Paris.
"The best way to run our business is to be AI-first but human when it matters, so we can provide more proactive service and better support our customers," Paris stated. "Customers don't care about the technology, they care about how you make them feel. Our strategy isn't changing, but the way we will achieve it is - with AI."
Finding the Right Problems to Solve
Getting started is often the most difficult step. One NZ's approach uses AI activators-programs designed to find where AI can make a real difference. They dig into data, customer interactions, and operational flows to find high-impact opportunities for automation.
"The AI activators taught us what the tech can do," said Summer Collins, One NZ's AI and Data Director. "They taught us where the data is good, and where it might need a bit more work. That means we can be confident that we are going after the biggest transformation opportunities."
Over the last year, these teams have guided pilots in call analytics, churn prediction, and mobile coverage optimization. This work is supported by an internal AI School and a strict Responsible AI Policy with mandatory training for all staff.
Improving the Customer Experience
One NZ is using AI to get rid of queues. "AI brings intelligence into our systems, which now means that we can solve problems for our customers," said Chris Fletcher, Chief Consumer & Business Officer.
An early success is the AI concierge for prepaid mobile customers. A simple chatbot suggests better monthly plans and lets users switch without speaking to an agent. This is a practical example of applying AI for Customer Support to remove friction.
In contact centers, AI generates and summarizes call notes so queries are resolved faster. This frees up agents from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on customers with more complex issues.
Supercharging Software and Product Development
Being "AI-first" also accelerates innovation. One NZ decided to offer a free 30-day trial of its satellite-based text-messaging service, giving the development team just six weeks to deliver it.
"A project like this would normally take 4 - 7 months, and we were able to knock it out in 45 days," said Sunil Sanjay, who leads the One NZ Satellite product experience.
The team needed a system for non-One NZ customers to download an eSIM and access the SpaceX satellites. They used AI tooling to turn requirements into design plans quickly. An off-the-shelf AI coding tool, Augment Code, was used to write the necessary code, showing the immediate benefit of using AI for Software Developers.
Sanjay described the AI tools as "like having a peer programmer working with you." This rapid execution is a clear instance of effective AI for Product Development, turning a complex idea into a market-ready service on a tight deadline.
Culture Change Starts with Action
For the strategy to work, AI had to be seen as an enabler, not a threat. Leaders frame it as a "superpower," encouraging staff to move from low-value, repetitive tasks to more creative and strategic work.
"Some jobs will evolve, some new ones will emerge, and in some areas we will become leaner," said Collins. She urges colleagues to spend ten minutes each day asking, 'Can AI do this better?'
It's a mindset echoed by the CEO, who now uses AI to draft his board briefing papers, saving a full day of work before each meeting. "If you are worried about AI, it's because you are not using AI," Paris told his team. "The blocker is not going to be the technology... It will be us refusing to unlearn and relearn. Just get started."
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