Our Sources

The world's most comprehensive occupational database. Covers 900+ job types, breaking each into specific tasks, skills, and automation risk scores. The global standard for workforce analysis.

Surveys 1,000+ of the world's largest employers on how AI is reshaping their workforce. Produces role-level forecasts on which jobs grow, which shrink, and which skills become critical.

New Zealand's primary source of employment trends, occupation outlooks, and regional labour market data. Ensures Ākina.AI's analysis reflects the NZ context, not just overseas conditions.

Detailed analysis of automation potential by task type. Breaks work into individual activities and assesses how much of each can be automated — the foundation for Ākina.AI's time savings estimates.

The NZ government's official career guidance service. Provides NZ-specific job profiles, salary ranges, and employment outlooks for hundreds of roles across Aotearoa.

New Zealand's official government statistics agency. The most authoritative source of NZ employment data — workforce composition, industry trends, and regional breakdowns.

New Zealand is an OECD member, so NZ-specific data is included in this annual cross-country workforce analysis — covering automation risk, skills gaps, and the future of work across 38 nations.

One of the most important books on AI and human capability published in 2026. Ming's research shows that when people offload thinking to AI tools, their own cognitive capacity atrophies over time — people who used AI coding tools produced better outputs but developed worse understanding of what they were building. Her core finding shapes how Ākina.AI approaches the question of AI use: the goal is not to avoid AI, but to use it in ways that build human capability rather than replace it. This is the neuroscience behind why Ākina.AI consistently says — do the thinking yourself first, then use AI to improve it. It also directly informs the tool's guidance on knowledge work roles: policy writers, lawyers, researchers, teachers, and health professionals should always draft first and use AI to stress-test and improve — never to originate. The human who can think, question, and oversee AI is more valuable than the one who can only use it.

The foundational Māori health and wellbeing framework that underpins the whole-person philosophy of Ākina.AI. The four dimensions — taha tinana (physical health and body), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional health), taha wairua (spiritual health, identity, and purpose), and taha whānau (family and community health) — inform how this tool thinks about what it means to be ready for an AI-changed world. Being AI ready is not just about knowing the right tools or having the right qualifications. It is about being well across all four dimensions. A person who is physically active, mentally sharp, clear about who they are, and genuinely connected to community will navigate disruption better than one who is technically skilled but depleted in the other three areas. This framework also grounds the tool's emphasis on identity — knowing who you are and where you come from is not soft preparation. It is professional infrastructure.

New Zealand's authoritative data on young people's mental health and wellbeing. Informs Ākina.AI's guidance to students and parents about screen time, mental wellness, and the importance of physical activity and offline time as cognitive and emotional performance strategies — not just lifestyle suggestions.

The international framework for AI literacy, including critical thinking about AI outputs. Informs Ākina.AI's consistent emphasis on questioning what AI produces — asking who made this, why, what is missing, and what do I actually think — as one of the most important skills for anyone working alongside AI tools.