To help you keep up to speed with AI and the steady stream of new tools, the IAB New Zealand Emerging Technology Council's AI Working Group has created a new AI Tools Tracker - a live document that will be updated quarterly.
Designed to be a helpful reference guide, this report contains hyperlinks to AI tools and platforms, a brief description of their main functions, and costs where available.
Thank you to Jake Calder Founder, Founder FugazAI and member of the IAB New Zealand AI Working Group for this update.
This report was current at the time of publication on 18 March 2026, and will be updated again in Q2 2026.
| PRODUCT LINK | TYPE OF AI | DESCRIPTION | ACCESS | COST NZD APPROX |
| Core LLMs & Assistants | ||||
| ChatGPT Plus | Generative: Text/Multimodal | Industry standard for complex reasoning, multi-step planning, and multimodal tasks. | Open | Free; Plus $34/mo |
| Claude Pro | Generative: Strategy/Copy | Preferred for high-fidelity, human-sounding copy and large-scale document analysis. | Open | Free; Pro $34/mo |
| Gemini Advanced | Assistive: Google Workspace | Deep integration with Docs/Sheets; best for research using live Google Search data. | Open | $32.99/mo |
| Perplexity Pro | Search/Research AI | Combines LLM reasoning with real-time web citations for fast, credible research. | Open | Free; Pro $34/mo |
| Meta AI | Generative: Conversational | Integrated across Meta apps; best for quick creative brainstorming and social trends. | Open | Free |
| Content & Ad Creative | ||||
| Canva Magic Studio | Generative: Design Hub | Primary hub for non-designers using AI for graphics, charts, and presentations. | Open | Pro from $26/mo |
| AdCreative.ai | Generative: Performance Ads | Generates high-conversion ad variants focused on performance data and creative scoring. | Open | From $45/mo |
| Jasper Business | Generative: Brand Content | Enterprise-grade creation with "Brand Voice" memory for cross-team consistency. | Open | From $68/mo |
| Video & Audio | ||||
| HeyGen | Generative: AI Avatars | Lifelike AI avatars for personalized video messages and realistic storytelling. | Open | From $42/mo |
| KlingAI | Generative: Video Creation | Professional-grade text-to-video generation for social and cinematic sequences. | Open/Beta | From $28/mo |
| Runway Gen-3 | Generative: Video Generation | Cinematic-quality AI video generation for creators and filmmakers. | Open | Varies by usage |
| Agentic & Automation | ||||
| CrewAI | Agentic: Workflows | Framework for creating autonomous AI agent teams for complex, multi-stage tasks. | Open | Free (Open Source) |
| Gumloop | Generative: No-code Auto | Visually build AI workflows that interact with your existing CRM and tech stack. | Open/Beta | Free (beta); From $25/mo |
| Manus AI | Generative: Autonomous | Autonomous agent capable of executing complex end-to-end projects independently. | Open/Beta | Free (beta); Varies |
| Sales & Intelligence | ||||
| NotebookLM | Assistive: Research | Uses uploaded documents to generate insights and audio overviews grounded in sources. | Open | Free |
| Apollo.io | Assistive: Sales Intel | B2B prospecting platform with AI-driven outreach and lead generation. | Open | Free; Paid from $85/mo |
| SparkToro | Predictive: Audience Intel | Analyses social/web data to provide insights into target audience behaviors. | Open | Free; Paid from $85/mo |
| Productivity & Specialist | ||||
| Microsoft Copilot Pro | Assistive: Productivity | Deep integration with 365 apps (Word, Excel, PPT) for enhanced productivity. | Open | $34/mo |
| Replit Agent | Generative: Coding | Facilitates rapid software development, allowing users to build and deploy apps via chat. | Open | From $15/mo |
| Whimsical AI | Assistive: Diagrams | Generates flowcharts and mind maps from text prompts for product and design teams. | Open | Free; Paid from $18/mo |
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