Debating The Future Of AI And Entrepreneurship Wins Academics Critic And Conscience Of Society Awards

Thursday, 26 March, 2026: Reframing the New Zealand debates on AI and on entrepreneurship has won Professor Rod McNaughton and Dr Andrew Lensman each a 2026 Critic and Conscience of Society Award.

Sponsored by philanthropic trust The Gama Foundation, the annual award recognises an academic’s role under the Education and Training Act 2020 to act as a critic and conscience of society.

This year, the Foundation sought two academics to reward them for their work in this capacity, and the shaping of New Zealand’s economic and social future was a key driver for both of this year’s winners.

Dr Andrew Lensen is a senior lecturer in Artificial Intelligence at the School of Engineering and Computer Science, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

He works to ensure that both the government and the public understand the urgent need to manage how AI is rolled out, specifically focusing on how it impacts our social fabric.

“Much of the public conversation around AI is stuck in two extremes: either it’s a total hype bubble that’s about to burst, or it’s an unstoppable force leading us toward a dystopian future,” says Dr Lensen.

“The reality is almost always found in the middle. I aim to help bring the nuance needed to ensure informed debate and steer AI toward its genuine benefits. At the same time, I try to hold big tech and the government accountable for the ways AI tools can cause real harm. Without robust oversight, we risk the technology compromising the wellbeing of future generations rather than delivering on its promise.”

Over the past two years, Dr Lensen has become a regular voice in the media, frequently questioning the uncritical rush to adopt AI tools, and advocating for transparent decision making and ethical standards. His work has reached New Zealand’s political leaders, with several politicians noting his research and public commentary have informed their thinking on AI policy.

Professor Rod McNaughton is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Academic Director for the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland.

He believes New Zealand’s long-standing productivity challenge is not primarily a failure of ideas, but a failure of institutional design.

Over the past few years, and in particular as the Government has been actively restructuring the science, innovation and technology system in 2024 and 2025, Professor McNaughton has been working to raise awareness of the need to reframe entrepreneurship and research commercialisation as a national capability system.

“New Zealand’s innovation future will not be secured through isolated policy levers. It depends on coherent institutional capability-building across the full pipeline, from school classrooms to university laboratories and commercialisation governance.

“For decades, we have produced high-quality research and celebrated innovation, yet struggled to convert knowledge, talent and discovery into enduring, high-value enterprises at a national scale.

“This is not a marginal policy concern. It is a structural constraint on productivity, economic resilience and the opportunities available to future generations.”

About the Award:

Established in 2017, the Critic and Conscience of Society Award encourages academics to provide expert commentary on important issues affecting the New Zealand community and future generations. More information about the award and past winners can be found on our website: Critic and Conscience of Society Award | Universities New Zealand - Te Pōkai Tara https://www.universitiesnz.ac.nz/critic-and-conscience-society-award

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