'Every change is uncomfortable ... but whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay.'
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly sought-after skill in Canterbury’s job market, with figures showing more employers seeking workers with AI knowledge.
And it is not limited to tech roles.
Data from employment platform Seek shows Canterbury’s Seek AI Gauge, which tracks how often AI-related terms appear in job
advertisements, reached almost 20 times its January 2019 baseline in September this year.
Figures also show 3.7% of job advertisements in Canterbury now mention AI-related skills, compared with 4.2% nationally.
While Canterbury remains below the national average, demand for AI skills has accelerated since September 2023, with Seek describing the growth as “notable”.
Information Technology continues to lead demand for AI skills in Canterbury, but Seek has also recorded sharp increases in Marketing and Communications, and Consulting and Strategy.
Employers are increasingly looking for workers familiar with large language models, the technology behind generative AI tools.
Nationally, mentions of AI-related skills in job advertisements have increased 88.2% over the past year.
Seek said the findings highlighted the growing importance of AI capabilities for jobseekers, although competition for roles remained strong.
“For employers, the findings suggest AI skills are becoming an increasingly relevant consideration when it comes to recruiting talent,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“However, with applications per job ad remaining at record highs, competition for roles remains strong, highlighting the importance of jobseekers demonstrating relevant skills and experience.”
AI moves beyond traditional tech jobs
The Herald analysed job advertisements on Seek requiring AI-related skills.
One accounting role sought someone with “an enthusiasm for AI, technology and smarter ways of working”, while a marketing lead position at Plato Creative called for an “AI- native marketer” who could use the technology for research, automation, data analysis, reporting and presentations.
Plato Creative managing partner John Plato said AI skills had become increasingly relevant as the agency expanded its services and looked for ways to improve efficiency.
“We recognised that building and growing internal capability in this area was critical to staying ahead and delivering maximum impact,” he said.
However, Plato said AI experience was an advantage rather than a strict requirement.
“As long as someone is eager to learn, open to experimenting with new technologies, and motivated to integrate modern tools into their daily work, we are very keen to bring them on board.”
The University of Canterbury (UC) included responsibility for guiding the institution’s response to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in its advertisement for a new Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic.
UC executive director of People, Culture and Campus Life Paul O’Flaherty said universities had an important role in understanding and responding to AI, including its opportunities and limitations in education.
“The person in this role leads UC’s response to digital transformation, emerging technologies and AI in education, and this has been the case since AI emerged as a significant consideration in teaching and learning at UC,” O’Flaherty said.
For construction recruiter Felipe Ribas, experience with AI has already paid off.
He recently secured a more senior position with a significant pay rise, and says his experience implementing AI tools was one of the factors that helped him land the job.
“Being a recruiter wasn’t enough for the level of role I was going into,” he said.
Ribas has been using AI in recruitment for years, including Microsoft’s Copilot to write job advertisements and maintain consistency across listings.
More recently, he has been testing Ribbon AI, a platform that can conduct initial candidate interviews and rank applicants based on their responses.
Instead of speaking to a recruiter, applicants receive a link to an AI-led interview.
But Ribas said many candidates were reluctant to engage with the technology.
For now, he still contacts applicants who do not complete the AI interview but believes that could change as recruitment becomes increasingly automated.
“People need to understand that every change is uncomfortable at first, but whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay,” Ribas said.
For him, the biggest advantage was time saved.
However, he worried AI could overlook qualified candidates whose CVs used unfamiliar job titles or failed to clearly reflect their experience.
“I’m concerned about missing out on a good candidate because AI hasn’t understood that their experience is relevant.”
His advice to jobseekers is to ensure their CVs reflect the requirements of the position and use appropriate terminology.
Ribas believes AI literacy will eventually become a basic workplace skill, much like knowing how to use a computer.
He pointed to tradespeople who need to know how to use tablets and technology to record completed work and generate invoices, despite working in traditionally hands-on roles.
He expects AI to follow a similar path.
Rafaella Melo is a multimedia journalist with more than 10 years’ experience in Brazil. She spent two years reporting for Hawke’s Bay Today before joining the NZ Herald’s Christchurch team in 2026.
