AI Month: How 2degrees will put AI tools in the hands of every employee
The only way to find out is to spend hands-on time with AI tools – and for more than finding a few productivity hacks for admin tasks. The Government's newly released Strategy for Artificial Intelligence suggests our economy can be boosted to the tune of $76 billion by 2038 through the effective use of AI.
But the strategy also flagged the need to raise awareness and build confidence to address a 'lack of perceived value' in AI. Many Kiwi organisations are dabbling with AI, but haven't yet progressed to applying the technology to unlock true productivity gains based on high-quality company data.
Many business leaders surveyed in the 2025 2degrees Shaping Business Study reported a lack of digital skills as a major obstacle to adopting AI and other advanced technologies. The challenge is twofold: not only is there a shortage of skilled technology professionals, but businesses also struggle to find the time and resources to upskill their existing workforce.
Taking AI use to the next level
2degrees was an early adopter of AI and has put it to work to achieve dramatic results in areas like customer service and marketing. But in August, the country's third-largest telecommunications provider will conduct a company-wide experiment with AI, taking its use to the next level.
'People need to start thinking deeply about AI and not be fearful of it,' says Mark Callander, 2degrees' Chief Executive Officer.
'Using AI isn't about eliminating jobs. We're trying to flip it on its head and ask: how can you use AI in your area of work to make your job easier, more productive, and more impactful? That's how we get the real productivity gains.'
For four weeks, each of 2degrees' 1600 employees, from network engineers to marketing staff, legal teams to customer service representatives, will participate in a series of AI training sessions, workshops, and hands-on experiments. The initiative is not just about learning new tools. It's about creating a cultural shift where AI becomes an integral part of daily work.
A month-long prompt-a-thon
With that in mind, even 2degrees' management and board of directors will go deep on AI, using the tech to draft board reports, analyse financial performance and forecast future trends. The aim is to compare AI-driven analysis with traditional human-led insights, highlighting new opportunities and potential blind spots.
2degrees' AI Month is structured around four themed weeks and is supported by the telco's technology partners, including AWS, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Snowflake, and TechMahindra, who all now offer extensive AI tools.
The programme, run nationally, will see employees receive training tailored to their roles, from prompt engineering to understanding unconscious bias in AI. Technical teams will deepen their use of tools like GitHub Copilot, while non-technical staff will learn how to integrate AI into their workflows.
Build-Your-Own-AI workshops will enable staff to put no-code AI agents to work on the real tasks they most want to automate. For example, a marketing team member recently used an AI tool to analyse mobile sign-up processes across competitors' websites, uncovering actionable insights in just 15 minutes, a task that would previously have taken hours.
2degrees employees are invited to share their discoveries and successes in internal forums, fostering a culture of curiosity and collaboration. Callander says the central theme of AI Month is transparency and openness to change.
'You can't write a three-year AI strategy at the moment because everything is moving so quickly,' he says. 'You can set your culture right, so you can embrace opportunities as they arise with AI.'
The shift every business needs to make
This cultural shift, says Callander, is essential for the long-term success of 2degrees. As AI evolves rapidly, organisations must be agile and ready to adapt. By empowering employees to explore AI and embed it into the fabric of the organisation, 2degrees hopes to unlock new levels of productivity, innovation, and customer value.
As Callander puts it, 'Whatever it is, we'll hopefully do it smarter, faster, and cheaper. We might make mistakes and go down some dead ends, but we'll learn together and build our confidence in using AI across 2degrees.'
In September, 2degrees will report back on the outcomes of AI Month, sharing key lessons, successes, and areas for growth with staff, partners, and the wider business community.
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