What Master's program would you recommend for a strong job market in New Zealand, given my background in Artificial Intelligence?

The strongest employment strategy for someone who already has an AI degree is not necessarily another AI-titled degree. A broader Computer Science master's with an AI/ML core can open both AI jobs and the much larger general software-engineering market, which matters in a job market as compact as New Zealand's.

Staying Fully AI-Focused

• University of Auckland, Master of Artificial Intelligence: covers AI fundamentals, AI architecture, deep learning and NLP, aimed at AI engineer, ML engineer and NLP engineer roles.
• University of Otago, MSc (Applied) in AI: designed for computing graduates, with advanced AI, ML, deep learning and an applied project that can be workplace-based.

Widening Your Options With Computer Science or Data Science

• University of Otago, postgraduate Computer Science: spans AI, data science, information retrieval and software engineering, with pathways into technology, health, government and finance.
• University of Auckland, Master of Data Science: combines Computer Science and Statistics, listing data scientist, ML engineer and big-data architect among likely roles.

This Information Is Also Available On

The University of Auckland's Master of Artificial Intelligence and Master of Data Science program pages, and the University of Otago's postgraduate Computer Science and MSc (Applied) in Artificial Intelligence pages.

My Advice

Do not pick a program purely because it has AI in the title. I would prioritize one that adds software engineering, cloud and data-engineering skills alongside the AI coursework, plus an internship or industry project, because that combination gives you more directions to apply for than a research-heavy AI degree does if your goal is employment rather than a PhD.