As AI assistants become embedded in our daily routines, across phones, smart speakers, dashboards, and wearables, audio is emerging as one of the most natural and powerful interfaces for interaction, discovery, and commerce. With over 1 billion users already engaging with platforms like Meta AI, Alexa+, and ChatGPT, we are quickly entering a future where conversations are the customer journey.
Thank you to our colleagues at IAB U.S. for developing and sharing this resource. IAB New Zealand Audio Working Group Lead and Strategy Director at PHD Media Hannah Merritt provides a local perspective on this useful and insightful IAB Guide:
The widespread integration of voice assistants now embedded in our mobile devices and powered by advanced AI platforms like ChatGPT is supercharging interactive audio usage globally. Consumers are increasingly drawn to the appeal of having a personal assistant at their fingertips, enabling hands-free, conversational access to answers and recommendations. This shift is not just a technological upgrade; it’s a fundamental change in how people interact with brands, content, and commerce.
Source: IAB U.S. Advertising's Interactive Audio Future October 2025
While the Infinite Dial research confirms that New Zealand’s smart speaker ownership (22% of the population) is behind both the US (35%) and Australia (34%), the global momentum is clear. Australia’s smart speaker adoption has doubled in recent years, now matching US levels, and both markets are seeing rapid growth in voice assistant usage across smartphones, smart speakers, cars, and other connected devices.
New Zealand’s lower smart speaker penetration does not mean it will lag in the interactive audio revolution. The growing prevalence of voice integrations across mobile devices, smart TVs, cars, and wearables means that Kiwis are increasingly exposed to voice-enabled experiences in their everyday tech. Voice search is quickly becoming a preferred method for digital interaction, and the market for voice assistants is expanding at a double-digit pace worldwide.
What’s happening overseas provides valuable insight into the future of interactive audio in New Zealand. The IAB's latest guide highlights that interactive audio advertising, powered by conversational AI, is driving higher engagement, recall, and conversion rates than traditional formats. As global brands invest in AI-powered, voice-driven commerce and advertising, New Zealand marketers should anticipate a similar trajectory where personalised, conversational audio becomes central to brand engagement and consumer decision-making.
IAB New Zealand Members can download the Advertising’s Interactive Audio Future Guide to learn how AI is revolutionising the way we interact, discover, shop and how brands can lead in the age of AI-powered audio.
For further information or to become an IAB New Zealand Member, please get in touch.