AI in Business — MerlinWriting on AI inside New Zealand businesses — what this year's research says, and what it means at forty staff. By Ricky Jack, Coreshift.https://heymerlin.aien-nzNew Zealand hasn't had an AI scandal. We're scared anyway.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/nz-hasnt-had-an-ai-scandalhttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/nz-hasnt-had-an-ai-scandalWhen the worry is ahead of the evidence, the most reassuring thing in the room is a leader who does the same thing, the same way, every time, and says so.Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)77% of New Zealanders have used AI. 65% worry it will cost jobs. At least 42% are both.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/using-ai-and-worried-about-jobshttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/using-ai-and-worried-about-jobsPlenty of people don't fit either camp. They're using it, and they're uneasy about where it leads.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)Half your team trusts you to keep people first as AI comes in. The other half is waiting to see.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/half-your-team-trusts-you-to-keep-people-firsthttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/half-your-team-trusts-you-to-keep-people-firstTrust about AI isn't built by what you say once. It's built by what you do with the time it frees up.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)Your people know what they need to learn. Only two in three say they're getting help.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/your-people-know-what-they-need-to-learnhttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/your-people-know-what-they-need-to-learnThe fear and the hope about AI sit in the same people. Leaders have to speak to both.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)Most of your people are in the engine room. Fewer of them are getting help with AI.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/most-of-your-people-are-in-the-engine-roomhttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/most-of-your-people-are-in-the-engine-roomConfidence with AI follows regular use. Regular use needs support, and support is going the wrong way.Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)The small businesses using AI are planning to hirehttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/small-businesses-using-ai-are-planning-to-hirehttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/small-businesses-using-ai-are-planning-to-hireIf AI isn’t the reason anyone’s going, someone has to say so before the silence says otherwise.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)Your best AI users are the ones hiding it from youhttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/your-best-ai-users-are-hiding-ithttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/your-best-ai-users-are-hiding-itFear isn’t costing you morale. It’s costing you measurement.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)You already have an AI training programme. It’s TikTok.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/you-already-have-an-ai-training-programmehttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/you-already-have-an-ai-training-programmeThe question was never whether your people get AI training. They’re getting it.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)91% adoption. 4% impact. We’ve spent two years measuring the wrong number.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/91-percent-adoption-4-percent-impacthttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/91-percent-adoption-4-percent-impactNinety-one per cent is a procurement statistic wearing a transformation costume.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)Your AI bill is about to get uncomfortable. Capping it is the wrong lever.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/your-ai-bill-is-about-to-get-uncomfortablehttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/your-ai-bill-is-about-to-get-uncomfortableThe alternative to capping spend is knowing which spend is working.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)New Zealand’s biggest companies already wrote the AI playbook. It doesn’t work at 40 staff.https://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/the-enterprise-ai-playbook-at-40-staffhttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/the-enterprise-ai-playbook-at-40-staffThe brief is right and, as written, unexecutable. The interesting work is the translation.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)Every difficult conversation in your business now has a third participanthttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/the-third-participanthttps://heymerlin.ai/ai-in-business/the-third-participantYour management decisions are now being reviewed for consistency, by something with infinite patience and no fear of you.Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in Businesshello@heymerlin.ai (Ricky Jack)