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, healthcare, legal decision-making, public policy, 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 was very humbled to be awarded a 2026 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.