Dr Andrew Lensen

Kia ora!

I am a Senior Lecturer (Pūkenga Matua) in Artificial Intelligence (Atamai Horihori) at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington (THW-VUW), Aotearoa/New Zealand, where I am also the Programme Director of Artificial Intelligence.

Research

I primarily specialise in explainable and interdisciplinary AI. My research explores AI's social and ethical implications, with applications in ecology, legal decision-making, and more. I also have interests in "fundamental" machine learning, such as genetic programming, unsupervised learning (nonlinear dimensionality reduction), and aspects of deep learning such as embedding/manifold learning methods. For further information, take a look at the projects and publications pages.

Highlights

🎉 I am very humbled to be one of the 2026 winners of the Critic and Conscience of Society award.

We have launched an open letter calling on the NZ Parliament to regulate AI using a risk-based approach. Have a read and consider adding your signature!

I am an active science communicator, frequently contributing op-eds, interviews, and expert commentary on AI-related topics --- most recently on NZ's approach to AI, AI in election campaigns, and young people's fears about AI. See the media page for the full list.

Working with Me

Students: my thesis student roster is full, and I am not currently able to take on new students outside of exceptional circumstances. I may be able to host a small number of visiting students.

Collaboration: my interdisciplinary AI research involves collaboration with researchers across many different disciplines. I have some limited capacity for new research collaborations.

Consultancy: Chris McGavin and I have an AI consultancy, LensenMcGavin AI. Check us out and get in touch if you need help with responsible AI: lm-ai.nz

Teaching

In addition to my research, I lecture in a range of AI and general computer science courses. My full teaching record is on my teaching page.

We offer a major in AI at THW-VUW --- the first University in NZ to do so. Take a look. We also have a very strong postgraduate qualification, the Master of AI.

Interested in AI but don't want a full degree --- or missing a programming/maths background? Check out the "Introduction to AI" (AIML 131) I teach, which is a first-year course designed for an audience with no background in AI.