The high cost of ‘AI hesitation’

Emily Makere Broadmore

February 17, 2025 - The Post

Companies must increase their productivity by ensuring both they and their consultants and service providers are all embracing AI for the easier work, says Emily Makere Broadmore.

Emily Makere Broadmore is director of comms and strategy firm Heft.

OPINION: When I recently suggested that artificial intelligence writes better copy than most university graduates, the response was heated. But while communications professionals filled my inbox with passionate defences of traditional skills, they missed a crucial point: businesses still paying humans to do what AI does better are actively wasting money. For proof, we need look no further than the cost of hesitation: New Zealand's precipitous fall from 9th to 40th place in global AI readiness rankings tells a cautionary tale of what happens when organisations and nations move too slowly.

This isn't just about efficiency - it's about competitive advantage. While some communications consultancies still charge premium rates for basic content creation, innovative businesses are using AI to handle these tasks, freeing up their budgets for what really matters: strategic thinking and creative problem-solving. The stark contrast between the OECD average AI readiness score of 89.47 and New Zealand's score of zero for AI vision demonstrates the real-world consequences of failing to embrace this transformation.

At Heft, we're seeing this transformation firsthand. Smart organisations don't want to pay consultants to write press releases or social media posts - they need strategic partners who can solve complex business problems through communications. They're looking for consultants who can navigate challenging stakeholder environments, implement bold strategies, and drive genuine organisational change.

The basic content creation that once justified significant consulting fees? AI handles that now, often better and faster than humans. This shift isn't unique to communications. Across industries, businesses that aren't leveraging AI are essentially choosing to be less competitive and less cost-effective. New Zealand's dramatic slide from 13th place in 2019 to 40th place last year in AI readiness rankings provides a stark warning of how quickly the competitive landscape can shift.

For business leaders, the implications are clear. The question isn't whether to embrace AI - it's whether your consultants and service providers are using it effectively to deliver better value. Are you still paying premium rates for work that AI could do? Are your communications partners focusing on strategic impact, or are they charging you for expensive typing?

The organisations thriving in this new environment understand that communications strategy isn't about crafting perfect prose - it's about solving business problems. They're working with consultants who put strategy first and use AI as a tool to deliver better results faster. As technology leaders gathering at the 2025 Economics Forum at the University of Waikato have likely discussed over the weekend, excessive caution and risk aversion in adopting AI can leave organisations and entire nations falling rapidly behind.

This evolution demands a rethink of how businesses engage communications support. The value no longer lies in basic content creation but in strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and effective execution. Smart businesses are shifting their investments accordingly.

The resistance to these changes often comes from consultancies protecting traditional revenue streams. But while they're defending outdated business models, their clients are paying the price - literally. New Zealand's zero score for AI vision serves as a stark reminder of what happens when organisations prioritize protecting the status quo over embracing necessary change.

The future of business communication isn't about perfect prose - it's about perfect problem-solving. And businesses that ignore this reality aren't just falling behind - they're actively choosing to pay more for less.

The choice for business leaders is clear: work with partners who leverage AI to deliver better value, or keep paying premium rates for work that technology could do better. In today's competitive environment, that's not really a choice at all. Just ask the nations and organisations watching their global competitiveness rankings plummet as they cling to outdated approaches.