The questions Australian operators ask us about AI.
Plain answers, no gated PDFs. Guides first, then the short answers to the questions that come up on every first call.
Read these before you buy anything.
AI agent, automation or chatbot: which one do you actually need?
The practical difference between an AI agent, a workflow automation and a chatbot, what each costs in Australia, and a five-question test to pick the right one.
→How much does an AI agent cost in Australia in 2026?
Real 2026 cost ranges for AI agents in Australia: mapping A$4,500, pilot from A$12k, production A$30k–A$120k, run costs and the hidden costs quotes leave out.
→Hiring AI-trained staff in Australia and New Zealand: roles, costs and how to test them.
Which AI roles companies actually need, what they cost in Australia and NZ in 2026, embedded vs contract vs permanent, and how to test an AI candidate properly.
→The twelve workflows to automate first.
The twelve workflows that pay back first for Australian mid-market companies — document-to-data, quote-to-cash, onboarding, reporting — with costs.
→AI-native app or AI features in the app you have?
When to build an AI-native app and when to add AI features to the app you have — design, architecture, cost and privacy differences for Australian teams.
→What to expect from an AI readiness audit.
What a five-day AI readiness audit covers, what it needs from you, what the report contains, and how to tell a real audit from a free consultation.
→The first-call questions.
Do you work with companies outside Australia?
Yes — New Zealand through our Auckland branch, the UAE through Dubai, and the US through Miami and Dallas. Delivery and QA leadership is Australian on every engagement.
How quickly can you start?
Audits and sprints usually start within two weeks; embedded staff in two to three weeks; builds once discovery has fixed the scope.
Who owns the code and the models?
You do. Code, infrastructure, prompts, evaluation sets and documentation live in your accounts from day one.
Which AI models do you use?
Whichever scores best on your evaluation set for the task, cost and residency needs. The architecture is model-agnostic.
Can you help with grants?
Yes — R&D Tax Incentive, NSW MVP Ventures, EMDG, NZ programmes, and US and UAE funding through our branches. See grant-funded builds.
What size of company do you work with?
Startups with a funded MVP, scale-ups adding capacity, and mid-market companies of roughly 20–2,000 staff adopting AI properly.
Do you offer a free consultation?
We offer a free 30-minute call to see whether we are the right fit. Analysis is paid — the AI Readiness Audit — because paid analysis can tell you "not yet".
Is Sentriqa part of a larger group?
Yes — Sentriqa is part of a larger Australian-led group with sister companies in robotics, renewable energy and operations. Clients get investor and grant pathways alongside delivery.
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One senior person replies within a business day, with an answer, not a deck.