Dr Oliver Hartwich

Notes from New Zealand

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Artificial intelligence

Wellington, New Zealand - very early 1900s Tucks Oilette Postcards.
The New Zealand Herald

New Zealand ignores the Kiwi who saw the future coming

30 July 2026

In 1987, on a school trip to the German countryside, my maths teacher made a prediction.

Painting-style image of Wilhelm von Humboldt alongside a student at a computer
Quadrant

Bildung and the Machine

25 June 2026

A sense of dread has settled over schools and universities.

The Eiffel Tower in a surreal mirrored world
Quadrant

AI, the Mirror and the Tower

29 August 2025

“Artificial unintelligence more like it.” So declared a reader of the Australian after one of my recent columns on artificial intelligence.

blue bright lights
The Australian

Our fearful mindset may be AI’s greatest hurdle

23 May 2025

On Tuesday morning, I attended a breakfast in New Zealand’s parliament.

an artificial intelligence illustration on the wall
ZB Plus

Not ready to be ruled by AI, but maybe inspired

16 November 2023

Last week, I spoke on a panel at Microsoft’s GovTech Futures conference in Wellington.

clear light bulb
Insights

The most exciting breakthrough of 2022

16 December 2022

There are some moments when you know the world will never be the same.

AI-generated image of Sesame Street characters at the Last Supper
The New Zealand Herald

AI’s potential to polarise society

25 August 2022

In a world increasingly shaped by AI, the value of our own intelligence and education does not diminish.

About me

Oliver Hartwich

I run The New Zealand Initiative, a Wellington think tank that argues for free markets, limited government and institutions that work. I grew up in Germany's Ruhrgebiet and worked in London and Sydney before moving to New Zealand in 2012. This site collects two decades of my columns, reports, speeches and interviews, with the occasional satire.

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Latest video

All TV appearances · Playlist on YouTube

Latest audio

  • Newstalk ZB · 9 November 2026 · 8 min

    What the 2026 election shows about MMP

    0:00
  • Free to Disagree · 6 November 2026 · 56 min

    Why hasn’t New Zealand warmed to its prime minister?

    0:00
  • Initiative podcast · 5 November 2026 · 32 min

    Why an ageing New Zealand is an opportunity, not a burden

    0:00

All interviews and podcasts

My books

Cover of The Martian Audit

The Martian Audit (2026)

Two Martian auditors land in the Wairarapa and are promptly fined for parking without consent. A satirical novella, free to download as PDF or EPUB.

Cover of In the Meantime

In the Meantime (2026)

Investing in a more tribal, less rational world. Written for the Da Vinci Lecture at the Portfolio Construction Forum. Free to read online.

Cover of Leonardo's Legacy

Leonardo's Legacy (2025)

Why investment professionals must become civilisational stewards. Written for the first Da Vinci Lecture at the Portfolio Construction Forum. Free to read online.

Free to Disagree

Free to Disagree podcast logo, with Damien Grant and Oliver Hartwich
Weekly podcast with Damien Grant

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