As artificial intelligence tools move rapidly from novelty to necessity, enterprises across Australia and New Zealand are scrambling to prepare their people – not just their systems – for what comes next.
For Michael Blignaut, an IT and process instructor at Lumify Work New Zealand, this moment feels like déjà vu.
“Cybersecurity is our fastest growing area,” he said, pointing to the same kind of urgency now emerging around artificial intelligence. “Every single one of our partners – AWS, Microsoft, all of them – have got huge amounts of cybersecurity training.”
Lumify Work, formerly known as Auldhouse in New Zealand and DDLS in Australia, is Australasia’s largest provider of corporate IT training, with nearly four decades of experience. It offers education across IT, project management, cybersecurity, and now a growing portfolio in AI. As new technologies go mainstream, organisations are looking for more than just tools – they need a strategy to roll them out responsibly.
“AI has moved from that vague buzzword to a vital business tool,” Blignaut said.
“It’s really reshaping how people think and work.” But he also cautions against a simplistic approach. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all magic wand. Unless companies really think about staff and training, and how they’re going to manage their AI adoption and address ethical concerns, I think there are going to be issues.”
The enthusiasm is undeniable. With tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT entering daily workflows, demand for AI training is exploding – especially among end users.
“Just using Copilot in emails, in Outlook and in Excel seems to get people very excited,” said Blignaut. “It’s that basic end-user usage where there seems to be a lot of wow and excitement.”
But that excitement can mask new risks. “People either don’t trust it, or they’ve been given the wrong answer by whatever tool they use. But there’s also an overreliance: everything from ‘it can solve all our problems’ to ‘it’s not doing what I need’.”
This rapid adoption has elevated issues like data privacy, governance, and training fit-for-purpose. “AI governance is knowing what people are going to do with data, how companies are going to adopt AI and really use it to the potential benefit of the organisation,” Blignaut said. In regulated sectors or for firms handling sensitive data, that means rethinking internal frameworks – starting with education.
Blignaut’s advice for businesses still unsure about jumping into AI? Start smart.
“It’s about thinking through your adoption strategies—and not being slow about putting in place really great implementation pathways,” he said. “How are we going to get everybody in the organisation to use their tools while staying safe and not opening the company up to breaches in privacy and all of those ethical bits and pieces?”
Assessment tools are a useful starting point. “There are a good number of AI readiness assessments – or Lumify can also help with that,” he said.
“Before you adopt any new technology or tool, there’s that initial awareness to see where the company is at and what they’re actually going to use it for, and making sure everybody’s aware of where the business actually needs AI and how it can assist.”
As with cybersecurity, the upskilling challenge isn’t limited to technical staff. Training now spans everyone—from executives navigating governance to frontline workers learning prompting. “I like having people in class with me,” said Blignaut, “but I think that’s where we’re going to settle: a bit of a mix.”
Hybrid training delivery – once rare pre-COVID – is now standard. Lumify offers formats ranging from one-day intro workshops to five-day technical intensives, delivered in-person, online, or both.
Vendor-specific certifications remain strong, especially those from Microsoft and Amazon. But interest is also growing in tool-agnostic programs, such as AI Certs, an internationally recognised certification body. “We’ve also got a really cool set of vendor-neutral or tool-neutral tools through AI Certs,” Blignaut said. “With all things AI, it’s amazing how things are changing—and changing again. Keeping certifications current and standard is going to be a huge amount of work for them, but so far, so good.”
Blignaut said one skill will become foundational: the ability to prompt AI effectively. “To me, it’s always about the prompting,” he explains.
“Being able to ask the right question, being able to really frame your prompt. Across all of those platforms, being able to ask the right question or prompt – I think that’s where the challenge is going to be for everybody.”
He also emphasises critical thinking and iterative refinement. “AI does hallucinate. Being agile about this thinking – not being shy to iterate and double-check your answers, reframing and re-asking the question in another way and being quite specific—iterating, iterating and iterating again is absolutely important.”
Blignaut believes AI will be a net creator of jobs, but not without disruption. Lumify is already designing reskilling programs to help displaced workers transition into new roles, including non-technical tracks that focus on digital literacy and adaptability.
Ultimately, Blignaut said, the companies that thrive in an AI-enabled world will be those that treat training as a continuous, strategic function – not a one-off fix.
“Before you can lead in AI, you’ve got to understand it,” he said. “And that starts with asking the right questions – of your people, your data, and your systems.”
